The Bowling Green Hot Rods couldn’t cash in most of the night, allowing the Burlington Bees to slip away with a 3-2 win in 10 innings in the opener of a three-game series Monday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Burlington (19-12) tied it in the seventh inning, then used a two-run homer by Harrison Wenson in the 10th to send Bowling Green (17-14) to its third loss in the last four games.

The Hot Rods struggled with runners in scoring position all night – going 1-for-14 while stranding 13 runners.

“It definitely was a tough game because we had our chances and we just couldn’t execute,” BG manager Reinaldo Ruiz said. “We pitched well and our defense was good, we just couldn’t get (runners) in.”

BG was 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the first nine innings, but was able to take a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly by Osmy Gregorio in the fourth. The Hot Rods missed several other chances to add runs – stranding one-out triples by Wander Franco in the third and Ford Proctor in the seventh, and a leadoff double by Proctor in the eighth.

Burlington tied the game on a sacrifice fly by Spencer Griffin in the seventh, setting up Wenson’s heroics in the 10th – a two-run homer off reliever Justin Marsden that hit the left field foul pole.

“It was one of those games,” Ruiz said. “I guess he was looking for that fastball. Justin was throwing 97. The first fastball was by him and I guess he guessed he was going to throw another fastball and he got it.”

Bowling Green tried to rally in the bottom of the 10th, with Chris Betts’ two-out RBI single the only hit of the night with runners in scoring position. The comeback bid stopped there as Gregorio struck out with two runners on to end the game.

The loss overshadowed a second straight quality start by Hopkinsville native Easton McGee. The right-hander worked a career-high seven innings, allowing one run and four hits with a career-high eight strikeouts to lower his ERA to 2.15.

“He did a great job,” Ruiz said. “He’s been pitching really well and he gave us a quality start. We are really excited for him because he has come a long way and now he is showing it on the mound.”

ROSTER MOVES

The Hot Rods shuffled the pitching staff with a quartet of moves prior to the game.

Right-handers Nick Padilla and Joel Peguero were added to the 25-man roster, with right-handers Miguel Lara and Steffon Moore reassigned to extended spring training.

NOTES

Michael Smith extended his on-base streak to 17 games. … McGee is the third Hot Rods starter to work seven innings this season, joining Caleb Sampsen and Alan Strong. … Bowling Green fell to 3-1 in extra-inning games. … The Hot Rods are now 8-2 in series openers. … Bowling Green High School and Western Kentucky alum Ben Morrison was in the Burlington bullpen, but did not make an appearance in Monday’s game.

UP NEXT

The series continues at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.

Right-hander Joe Ryan (2-2, 3.74) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods. Ryan earned the win in his last start at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) on Wednesday, allowing one run in five innings with eight strikeouts. He is 1-0 at home this season in one start, allowing one run and one hit with 12 strikeouts.

Right-hander Kyle Tyler (1-0, 2.76) is scheduled to start for the Bees.{&end}