Beech Tree News Network

Robertson reaches base four times, extends team leading walk total to 11 

Hickory, North Carolina – Blake Robertson got on base four times, including two singles and two walks, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods (6-4) offense only mustered one run in a 5-1 loss to the Hickory Crawdads (6-4) on Thursday night at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. 

The Hickory offense powered their way to a lead in the bottom of the first against Bowling Green starter Ben Peoples. Max Acosta singled and scored on a two-run homer by Josh Hatcher that put the Crawdads up 2-0. In the bottom of the third, Alejandro Osuna led off with a walk and moved up to second on a ground ball. Osuna scored on an RBI single from Liam Hicks to increase the Hickory lead to 3-0. 

Another run came in the bottom of the seventh for the Crawdads off Hot Rods reliever Antonio Jimenez. Jayce Easley reached first on a bunt single and moved up to second on a balk. He made it a 4-0 game by stealing third and advancing home on a throwing error from Kenny Piper. In the bottom of the eighth, Hatcher walked, stole second, and scored on an RBI double by Keyber Rodriguez to increase Hickory’s lead, 5-0.  

Bowling Green scored their first run of the game in the top of the ninth against Eudrys Manon. Nick Schnell and Blake Robertson both singled to put runners on first and third. Oniell Manzueta plated Schnell on an infield single to cut the deficit to 5-1. Bowling Green’s rally stopped there, falling to the Hickory, 5-1. 

Josh Stephan (2-0) picked up the win by striking out 10 and walking three in 7.0 scoreless innings. Ben Peoples (0-1) got the loss, letting up three runs on eight hits while striking out four and allowing a walk in 4.1 innings.  

The Hot Rods and the Crawdads play the fourth game of a six-game series on Friday with first pitch set for 6:00 PM CT. Bowling Green is sending RHP Austin Vernon (1-0, 18.69) to the mound, while Hickory give LHP Mitch Bratt (0-0, 2.08) the nod.

-----

Hot Rods Lose 8-7 in Walk-Off, Caminero Homers Twice 

Hot Rods fall in the bottom of the ninth, hitters produce seven runs on 10 hits 

Hickory, North Carolina – Junior Caminero went 4-for-4 with five RBI, including two home runs, but the Bowling Green Hot Rods (6-3) lost in walk-off fashion 8-7 to the Hickory Crawdads (5-4) on Wednesday night at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. 

Bowling Green started the scoring in the top of the first off Hickory starter Winston Santos. Carson Williams singled and Caminero got hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Willy Vasquez scored Williams on a base hit to right and put the Hot Rods up 1-0. Schnell slapped a sacrifice fly towards right to plate Caminero from third and increase Bowling Green’s lead, 2-0. In the top of the third, Williams led off with a single and scored on a two-run homer by Caminero that increased the Hot Rods lead, 4-0. 

The Hickory offense fought back in the bottom of the third against Bowling Green starter J.J. Goss. Marcus Smith singled and Jayce Easley doubled to put runners on second and third. Max Acosta reached first on a fielding error by Vasquez, scoring Smith to make it a 4-1 ballgame. Alejandro Osuna singled in Easley from third and moved Acosta over to third to cut the deficit to 4-2. Josh Hatcher grounded into a fielder’s choice that plated Acosta and made it 4-3. 

The Hot Rods increased their lead off Santos in the top of the fourth. Blake Robertson led off with a single and Nate Soria got hit by a pitch. Caminero plated both runners with a three-run home run, his second of the night, to regain a four-run lead, 7-3. 

Hickory scored again in the bottom of the sixth off Bowling Green reliever Franklin Dacosta. Osuna led off with a walk and moved up to second on a single by Hatcher. He went to third on a ground ball off the bat of Cody Freeman, but scored on a throwing error by Vasquez to put the game at 7-4. 

More runs came across for the Crawdads in the bottom of the seventh against Hot Rods reliever Antonio Menendez. Easley walked and Acosta singled to put runners on first and second. Osuna cut the lead to 7-5 on a double to center that scored Easley and moved Acosta to third. Hatcher singled in Acosta and Osuna to tie the game, 7-7. 

In the bottom of the ninth, Hatcher and Daniel Mateo put runners on first and second with back-to-back walks against Bowling Green reliever Sandy Gaston. Freeman scored Hatcher on a deep single to center, winning the game for Hickory, 8-7. 

Michael Brewer (1-0) got the win, striking out two and walking one in a scoreless ninth. Sandy Gaston (0-1) picked up the loss, walking two and allowing a run in the ninth. 

The Hot Rods and the Crawdads play the third game of a six-game series on Thursday with first pitch set for 6:00 PM CT. Bowling Green is set to start RHP Ben Peoples (0-0, 0.00), while Hickory sends RHP Josh Stephan (1-0, 1.80) to the bump

-----

Caminero’s Homer Boosts Hot Rods to 5-3 Win Over Crawdads 

Hot Rods bullpen solid for 5.2 innings, Garcia earns second win of the campaign 

-----

Hickory, North Carolina – Junior Caminero slugged a three-run, go-ahead, home run in the top of the fifth that powered the Bowling Green Hot Rods (6-2) past the Hickory Crawdads (4-4) 5-3 on Tuesday night at LP Frans Stadium in Hickory, North Carolina. 

Hickory scored first in the bottom of the second inning off Bowling Green starter Patrick Wicklander. Geisel Cepeda thumped a solo homer over the right field wall to give the Crawdads a 1-0 lead.  

The Hot Rods answered back with a run in the top of the third off Crawdads starter Gavin Collyer. Shane Sasaki singled to center and stole second. Carson Williams reached on an infield single, and a throwing error scored Sasaki, to tie the game up 1-1.  

With Wicklander still on the bump, Hickory took back the lead in the bottom of the third. Frainyer Chavez led off with a single to center and stole second. Daniel Mateo singled to left and moved up to second on the throw, placing runners at second and third. Max Acosta scored Chavez on a base hit to left and regained a 2-1 lead for the Crawdads. 

Blake Robertson singled and Shane Sasaki walked to put runners on first and second in the top of the fifth. Junior Caminero plated both runners on a three-run home run off Crawdads reliever Yohanse Morel and Bowling Green took a 4-2 lead.  

The Crawdads cut the deficit in the bottom of the seventh against Hot Rods reliever Roel Garcia. Acosta pushed a solo homer over the left field wall to make it a 4-3 game.  

Caminero singled, Kenny Piper got hit by a pitch, and Dru Baker singled to load the bases in the top of the eighth against Hickory reliever Spencer Mraz. Nick Schnell scored Caminero from third on a sacrifice fly to left and granted Bowling Green another two-run lead, 5-3. Nelson Alvarez held Hickory scoreless in the ninth to raise the Hot Rods over the Crawdads, 5-3. 

Roel Garcia (2-0) picked up the win with 3.2 scoreless frames, four strikeouts, and a walk. Collyer (0-1) received the loss, giving up three runs on four hits while collecting five strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings. Alvarez got the save (1), pitching 2.0 perfect innings with five strikeouts.   

The Hot Rods and the Crawdads play game two of the six-game series on Wednesday with first pitch set for 6:00 PM CT. Bowling Green is starting J.J. Goss (0-0, 4.50), while Hickory sends Winston Santos (1-0, 2.61) to the bump. 

Fans can catch all the action by listening through the MiLB First Pitch App, tuning into Talk 104.1 FM and 930 AM WKCT, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live.