Taylor Walls scored from second base on an infield single by Ronaldo Hernandez to help the Bowling Green Hot Rods outlast Lansing (Mich.) 4-3 in 10 innings Wednesday at Cooley Law Stadium in Lansing in Game 1 of the best-of-three opening-round series in the Midwest League playoffs.

The victory was the second postseason win in franchise history and the first time the Hot Rods have won a Game 1. Bowling Green was 0-6 in previous Game 1s in franchise history.

“The little things were huge,” BG manager Craig Albernaz said. “We played good defense, and then the effort and energy running the bases.

“ … Ronaldo Hernandez just busting his butt down the line after catching nine innings and beating it out and (Walls) running from second, you just can’t say enough about these guys’ effort and their willingness to compete day in and day out.”

Bowling Green never trailed, but needed extra innings to secure the victory.

Jim Haley gave the Hot Rods a 1-0 lead on a solo homer in the second, but Lansing’s Andres Sotillo answered with a solo homer in the fifth to tie the score.

Bowling Green regained the advantage when Haley scored from second on a sacrifice fly by Zach Rutherford and added an unearned run in the eighth to make the score 3-1.

Lansing tied the score in the bottom of the eighth on a two-run triple by Norberto Obeso, but reliever Matt Seelinger came in and kept the potential tying run at third to keep the game knotted at 3.

Bowling Green regained the lead for good on Hernandez’s two-out infield single and Seelinger finished it off with a perfect bottom of the inning. The right-hander earned the win, retiring all seven batters he faced with four strikeouts.

“My change-up was working tonight and that was huge,” Seelinger said. “To have three pitches (working well tonight) was a game-changer, but the main thing was I was getting ahead with my fastball.

“It was one of those nights where everything was clicking.”

Walls and Haley paced the offense with two hits each, with Haley scoring two runs.

The Hot Rods will look to clinch the series at 6:35 p.m. Thursday at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Right-hander Tommy Romero (11-4, 2.95) is scheduled to start for the Hot Rods, with righty Graham Spraker (4-3, 3.26) scheduled to start for the Lugnuts.