Bowling Green, Kentucky – Tony Santa Maria finished 4-for-5 with four extra-base hits, including a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Bowling Green Bootleggers (80-47, 41-21) to a 7-6 victory over the Greenville Drive (58-68, 32-31) at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Santa Maria becomes the fourth player in Bowling Green franchise history to log four extra-base hits in a single game. Santa Maria joins Xavier Isaac, Shane Sasaki, and John Mollicone as the only players in the team’s 17-year history to do such.
The Drive snagged the lead with one run in the top first inning off against Bowling Green starter Trevor Harrison. Ronny Hernandez clubbed a solo home run to right field, making it 1-0 Greenville.
Harrison dominated from there, firing nine strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. The nine punch outs finished one away from tying his career-best 10 strikeouts on August 18th against the Greensboro Grasshoppers.
The Bootleggers equalized with one run against Drive starter Dylan Brown in the bottom of the first. Santa Maria ripped a double, stole third base, and touched home on a Nathan Flewelling single to tie the game at 1-1.
Bowling Green gathered their first lead against Brown, scoring two runs in the bottom of the third. Santa Maria doubled to right, Flewelling moved Santa Maria to third on a single to left-center field, and Narciso Polanco delivered an RBI groundout to make it 2-1. Ryan McCoy plated Flewelling with an RBI double to right field, boosting the Bootleggers’ margin to 3-1.
Greenville leveled the game with two runs against Bowling Green bullpen arm Kaleb Corbett. Stanley Tucker logged a leadoff double to left field, and Givian Sirvania tagged a two-run homer to left, evening the game at 3-3.
The Drive got back in front with one run in the top of the seventh inning against Corbett. Antonio Anderson walked and scored from first base on a Skylar King two-out double, handing Greenville a 4-3 edge.
The Bootleggers tied the game with one run in the bottom of the seventh against Drive reliever Luis Cohen. Santa Maria towered a solo shot to left field, squaring the game at 4-4.
Bowling Green regained the lead with two runs against Greenville’s bullpen in the bottom of the eighth inning. Ryan Cermak walked and stole second base. Polanco collected a bunt single and swiped second, putting runners at second and third. A two-base error by Cohen allowed both runners to score, giving the Bootleggers a 6-4 advantage.
Greenville tied the game with two runs in the top of the ninth against bullpen arm Jacob Hartlaub. Hernandez singled to right, and Nazzan Zanetello ripped a two-run home run to left field, knotting the game at 6-6.
The Bootleggers walked it off in the bottom of the ninth against reliever Matt McShane. Santa Maria uncorked a solo homer to left field, rounding out a 7-6 Bowling Green win.
Hartlaub (2-2) received the win throwing 2.0 innings, allowing two runs on two hits with four punch outs mixed in. McShane (2-3) took the loss, giving up one run on one hit, one walk, and two strikeouts over 1.0 inning.
Bowling Green sports its White Squirrels alternate identity for game four of a six-game series with Greenville on Friday night at 6:35 PM. The White Squirrels will send RHP Jonathan Russell (3-1, 4.29) to the mound against Drive RHP Jordanny Monegro (0-0, 0.00).
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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