Bowling Green Hot Rods catcher Tatem Levins (12) bats during a game against Greensboro on Wednesday, August 14, 2024 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Photo by Caleb Lowndes / caleb.lowndes@bgdailynews.com)

Starting pitcher Jackson Baumeister struck out a career-high 11 batters and Tatem Levins hammered a three-run homer, helping the Bowling Green Hot Rods beat the Greenville Drive 7-0 on Friday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

The Hot Rods (73-48 overall, 37-18 second half) scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning against Drive starter Dalton Rogers. Colton Ledbetter singled and stole second to put a runner in scoring position. Mac Horvath smacked a base hit to left, scoring Ledbetter to make it 1-0. Horvath stole second and came around to score on a double by Noah Myers. After Myers stole third, he was plated on a throwing error, putting the Hot Rods up 3-0.

Bowling Green increased the lead in the bottom of the fifth off Greenville reliever Adam Smith. Homer Bush Jr. singled and moved to third on a throwing error by Smith. Ledbetter laced a base hit to right, plating Bush to make it 4-0. Myers singled and Levins launched a three-run homer to open the game up, 7-0.

In the top of the ninth, Hot Rods reliever Seth Chavez tossed a scoreless frame to finalize the game, 7-0.

Baumeister (3-3) earned the victory, allowing a hit and striking out 11 over seven scoreless frames. Rogers (2-7) took the loss for Greenville (59-65, 33-25), allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

Bowling Green and Greenville play the penultimate of a six-game series on Saturday with first pitch set for 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Owen Wild (6-1, 2.84) takes the ball for the Hot Rods, while righty Elmer Rodriguez (2-1, 3.20) will start for the Drive.