Junior Caminero slugged a three-run, go-ahead home run in the top of the fifth inning that powered the Bowling Green Hot Rods past the Hickory Crawdads 5-3 on Tuesday night at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, N.C.

Hickory (4-4) scored first in the bottom of the second inning off Bowling Green starting pitcher Patrick Wicklander. Geisel Cepeda thumped a solo homer over the right-field wall to give the Crawdads a 1-0 lead.

The Hot Rods (6-2) answered back with a run in the top of the third off Crawdads starter Gavin Collyer. Shane Sasaki singled to center and stole second. Carson Williams reached on an infield single, and a throwing error scored Sasaki, to tie the game up 1-1.

With Wicklander still pitching, Hickory took back the lead in the bottom of the third. Frainyer Chavez led off with a single to center and stole second. Daniel Mateo singled to left and moved up to second on the throw, placing runners at second and third. Max Acosta scored Chavez on a base hit to left and regained a 2-1 lead for the Crawdads.

BG’s Blake Robertson singled and Sasaki walked to put runners on first and second in the top of the fifth. Caminero plated both runners on a three-run home run off Crawdads reliever Yohanse Morel and Bowling Green took a 4-2 lead.

The Crawdads cut the deficit in the bottom of the seventh against Hot Rods reliever Roel Garcia. Acosta pushed a solo homer over the left-field wall to make it a 4-3 game.

Caminero singled, Kenny Piper got hit by a pitch and Dru Baker singled to load the bases in the top of the eighth against Hickory reliever Spencer Mraz. Nick Schnell scored Caminero from third on a sacrifice fly to left and granted Bowling Green another two-run lead, 5-3.

Nelson Alvarez held Hickory scoreless in the ninth to close out the win.

Garcia (2-0) picked up the win with 3 2/3 scoreless frames, four strikeouts and a walk. Collyer (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs on four hits while collecting five strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings. Alvarez got the save (1), pitching two perfect innings with five strikeouts.

The Hot Rods and the Crawdads play game two of the six-game series on Wednesday with first pitch set for 6 p.m. CT. Bowling Green is starting J.J. Goss (0-0, 4.50), while Hickory sends Winston Santos (1-0, 2.61) to the mound.