Beech Tree News Network

Qsar sets franchise postseason home run record with third of the series

Bowling Green, Kentucky – Jordan Qsar hit his record-setting third home run of the postseason in the Bowling Green Hot Rods (2-2) thrilling 7-5 win over the Greensboro Grasshoppers (2-2) on Monday at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Hot Rods and Grasshoppers play game five Tuesday with a 6:35 PM CT first pitch.

The Grasshoppers put up the first run of the game in the second inning on a Will Matthiessen solo homer, giving Greensboro a 1-0 lead. Bowling Green answered in the bottom half against Greensboro starter Carmen Mlodzinski. Hill Alexander led off the inning with a walk, and two outs later, Alika Williams drove him in with a double. Brett Wisely singled home Williams in the next at-bat, putting the Hot Rods in the lead, 2-1.

The Hot Rods added to their lead in the bottom of the third with Mlodzinski still on the mound. Grant Witherspoon led off with a walk and Jordan Qsar brought him home with a two-run homer, extending the Hot Rods lead to 4- 1. It was the third of the postseason for Qsar, the most for any player in franchise postseason history.

Greensboro scored a run in the fourth inning on a Matt Gorski solo home run, cutting into the Bowling Green lead 4-2. The Grasshoppers went on to tie the game at 4-4 in the top of the sixth. Liover Peguero had an RBI basehit and Lolo Sanchez worked a walk with the bases-loaded.

The Hot Rods responded immediately in the bottom of the sixth with Grasshoppers reliever Domingo Gonzalez on the mound. Williams had a oneout double and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Diego Infante plated Williams with a single to make it 5-4. Witherspoon brought home Infante with a triple, and then scored on a Curtis Mead base-hit to give the Hot Rods a 7-4 lead. Greensboro scored one run in the top of the ninth, but Michael Costanzo closed the door on a 7-5 win, forcing a game five on Tuesday.

Evan McKendry allowed two runs on eight hits over 4.1 innings while walking one and striking out five in a no-decision. Carlos Garcia tossed 1.0 inning, surrendering two runs on one hit, walking two and striking out three. Angel Felipe (2-0) racked up four strikeouts over 2.1 scoreless innings while walking two and earning the win. Alan Strong earned a hold, recording two outs and allowing one run on two hits with a walk. Costanzo (1) picked up the save after getting the final two outs with one strikeout.

Notes: Qsar is now the leader in postseason homers with three… Witherspoon is tied for second with two home runs… Williams collected his first postseason RBI… He also had his first career postseason multi-hit game… Mead had his second postseason multi-hit game… It was his first with three hits… The Hot Rods set the postseason record with their seventh home run of the series… The previous record was set with five in the 2018 postseason… The 2018 postseason was also a full playoff format, compared to the one series in 2021… Bowling Green and Greensboro play game five on Tuesday with a 6:35 PM CT first pitch… The Hot Rods send LH Jose Lopez (0- 0, 0.00) to the mound against Grasshoppers RH Michael Burrows (0-0, 21.00)… Fans can catch all of the action by watching or listening through the MiLB First Pitch app, tuning into WBGN 94.5 FM and 1340 AM, or visiting https://www.milb.com/bowling-green/fans/audio-listen-live

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