Bowling Green, Kentucky – The Bowling Green Bootleggers (12-6) set season-highs with 12 runs and 14 hits, throttling the Jersey Shore BlueClaws (9-8) in a 12-5 win at Bowling Green Ballpark Thursday.
Jersey Shore got off to a strong start with a leadoff home run in the top of the first inning. Brady Day lifted a solo home run off Bootleggers starting pitcher Trevor Harrison for a 1-0 BlueClaws lead.
Bowling Green struck back with a three-run bottom of the first inning off Jersey Shore starter Luke Gabrysh. Theo Gillen walked, Nathan Flewelling was hit by a pitch, and Émilien Pitre flipped an RBI single into left-center field to tie the game at 1-1. Narciso Polanco drilled an RBI double to right field one pitch later, giving the Bootleggers a 2-1 edge. Connor Hujsak lined a sacrifice fly to center field, boosting the lead to 3-1.
The BlueClaws regained the lead with three runs off Harrison in the top of the second. Joel Dragoo walked and moved to third on a Raider Tello single. Trent Farquhar hit a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2. One pitch later, Day rocked a go-ahead home run to right field, giving Jersey Shore a 4-3 lead.
Bowling Green knotted the game at 4-4 against Gabrysh in the second inning. Tom Poole led off with a walk and Gillen plated him with an RBI double.
The Bootleggers snatched a 5-4 lead off against Gabrysh in the bottom of the third. Hujsak logged a go-ahead solo home run to left-center field with two outs.
The floodgates opened from there as Bowling Green notched two runs in the bottom of fourth inning and four more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Gillen and Pitre recorded RBI singles in the fourth inning to make it 7-4. Poole socked a two-run home run with no outs in the fifth against Jaydenn Estanista for a 9-4 advantage.
After a Jersey Shore RBI fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth, Ryan McCoy walked and scored from third off an RBI triple by Gillen off Estanista for a 10-5 margin in the bottom of the fifth. He scored shortly after on a passed ball for an 11-5 edge.
Bowling Green tallied one more run in the bottom of the seventh off a Tony Santa Maria RBI single against reliever Jake Eddington.
The Bootleggers held the BlueClaws scoreless for the final four innings. Andy Rodriguez polished off the victory with a scoreless ninth inning.
Kaleb Corbett (1-0) gained his first win of the season with 2.0 innings, allowing one run on two hits, one walk and pitching hurling strikeouts. Gabrysh (0-2) took the loss following seven runs on eight hits over 3.1 innings, walking three and fanning four.
The Bowling Green Cavemen take the diamond on Friday night at 6:35 PM CT. RHP Jose Urbina (0-2, 5.91) opposes Jersey Shore’s RHP Ryan Dromboski (0-1, 3.14) on Fireworks Friday at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Fans can catch all the action by watching on MiLB.tv, listening through the MiLB First Pitch App and BGHotRods.com. Fans can also secure their seats for future home Hot Rods games by calling (270) 901-2121, visiting the Bowling Green Ballpark box office during normal business hours, or going to www.bghotrods.com.
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Hot Rods Baseball