LEXINGTON – Sometimes a machine needs time to warm up. For five innings, it looked as though Bowling Green wouldn’t even start. But when it did, the Purples started plowing.

Bowling Green rallied with five runs in the sixth inning to overcome a slow start and beat Madison Central 8-6 in the first round of the Whitaker Bank/KHSAA State Baseball Tournament on Friday night.

The Purples (22-11) scored all five runs with two outs in the top of the sixth and reliever Trevor Dennis held off the comeback effort from the Indians (30-8).

Madison Central put runners at second and third in the bottom of the sixth before Bowling Green made a pitching change for Dennis, who last threw in the District 14 championship game. He recorded a strikeout, then issued back-to-back walks – the last one scoring Scott Simmons – before another strikeout kept the Purples’ lead safe going into the seventh.

Bowling Green went right down the order in the top of the seventh, then Dennis officially earned the save to push the Purples into the quarterfinals.

Bowling Green will play McCracken County (33-8) in the quarterfinals Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. CDT at Whitaker Bank Ballpark.

Madison Central got on Bowling Green quick in the first inning much to the pleasure of a dominant Indians fan base, who made just a 30-minute drive north to Whitaker Bank Ballpark.

Ben Snapp took Ben Ginter for a two-run double to the right-center gap to go up 2-0. Snapp stole third and scored on a balk right after Ginter went through a conference on the mound. The Indians tacked three hits in the first off Ginter, who went for 28 pitches that inning.

Solid leadoffs to start the third and fourth innings helped the Purples tie it up.

Geoffrey Ross reached second on an error to lead off the third, then scored on Eli Burwash’s sacrifice fly for the Purples’ first run.

Will Garske led off the fourth with a deep shot to left field for a double, then scored two batters later on Evan Spader’s single. A failed pickoff attempt at first allowed Trevor Dennis to score the tying run from third later in the fourth inning.

Two walks to start the fourth closed the day for Ginter, who finished with 79 pitches, and brought in Charlie Key. Those runners scored on a sacrifice fly and an error to push the Indians back into the lead at 5-3. Madison Central worked Key into long pitch counts and racked up his total to 36 pitches in just one frame.

The Indians threatened by loading the bases in the bottom of the fifth, but Key worked out of the jam by forcing a ground out.

Devin Ecklar hit Garske on his first pitch of the sixth inning and was relieved by Lucas Myers, who struck out Joe Howard on four pitches before Dennis took him for a double to left field to score Garske.

Evan Spader poked a shallow single into right field and stole second while Myers worked Ross to a 3-0 count. Myers was pulled after just 12 pitches for James Goble. Bo Morton brought in Spader as the tying run and an error scored Ross from second for the Purples’ first lead.

A two-run single by Burwash stretched Bowling Green’s lead to 8-5 and the Purples held on to the end.

BG 001 205 0 – 8 8 2

MC 300 201 0 – 6 8 4

WP: Key. LP: Myers. SV: Dennis.{&end}