Dru Baker homered in the first at-bat of the ballgame, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods couldn’t keep up with the Winston-Salem Dash, losing by a score of 5-3 on Saturday night at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Baker led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run off Dash starter Brooks Gosswein, putting the Hot Rods up 1-0. Carson Williams and Bob Seymour hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second. After Williams stole third, he scored on an RBI sacrifice fly off the bat of Willy Vasquez that increased the lead to 2-0.

Winston-Salem’s Caberea Weaver knocked an RBI single in the top of the second against Hot Rods starter Roel Garcia to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

In the bottom of the second, Kenny Piper led off with a double and moved up to third on a fielding error from Taishi Nakawake. Piper scored on a wild pitch, moving the score to 3-1.

Winston-Salem (30-24) tied it up at 3-3 in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer by Weaver.

Winston-Salem took its first lead of the game in the top of the sixth against Bowling Green reliever Over Galue. Weaver walked and Terrell Tatum was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Loidel Chapelli singled to left, scoring Weaver to put the Dash up 4-3.

Keegan Fish made it 5-3 with a solo homer in the top of the eighth.

Bowling Green (26-26) was unable to score the next two innings, losing 5-3 to Winston-Salem.

Dash relief pitcher Jared Kelley (1-2) earned the win, allowing a hit, two walks and striking out three over four scoreless frames. Galue (0-1) collected the loss, lasting 1 2/3 innings while allowing a run on two hits, three walks and a strikeout. Tristan Stivors (5) picked up the save with a strikeout and scoreless ninth.

Bowling Green and Winston-Salem play the series finale of a six-game series on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. The Hot Rods are set to start right-hander Austin Vernon (3-1, 5.61), while the Dash are countering with righty Connor McCullough (3-4, 2.72).