Last night, the Hub City Spartanburgers used a middle-innings rally and a dominant effort through 7 and two-thirds shutout innings by the bullpen to notch their second straight victory in a 5-4 triumph over the Bowling Green Hot Rods. They would look to follow that up by ensuring at least a tie in the six-game series on Thursday night at Fifth Third Park. But, that would not come without some breaking news ahead of the game. It was announced that Rangers’ 2024 First Round draft pick and top catching prospect Malcolm Moore suffered a broken finger on a foul tip on Tuesday night, with no timetable for how long he will be on the injured list.
As if that was not already a ton of adversity to face, the game started off with nothing short of deja vu. Paul Bonzagni (0-0, 2.08 ERA) got the nod for the Spartanburgers opposite Bowling Green’s Garrett Edwards (1-0, 2.00 ERA). Unfortunately for Bonzagni, he very quickly found himself out of the game. Shortstop Adrian Santana led off with a single and took 2nd on an E4 on what could have been a 6-4-3 double play that instead went as a fielder’s choice where no out was recorded. Center fielder Aidan Smith drew a walk to load the bases, setting up a run-scoring fielders’ choice play from Third Baseman Mac Horvath where the ball was hit deep behind 2nd, fielded by Theo Hardy, but tossed high on what would have been a bang-bang play at 2nd if anything at all. Catcher Daniel Vellojin then drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 3-0.
Bonzagni finally got his first out by ringing up Left Fielder Ryan Spikes only to surrender back to back RBI singles to Right Fielder Jhon Diaz and Designated Hitter Hunter Haas. First Baseman Bryan Broecker struck out swinging for the 2nd out, which ended the night for Bonzagni. Willian Bormie came in and got Santana to fly out to left to get the Spartanburgers out of the inning. But, they would come to bat for the first time in the game trailing 4-0 for the 2nd time in as many games.
The train of deja vu continued for the Burgers’ offense as they squandered a 2 out single and stolen base from Center Fielder Anthony Gutierrez in the bottom of the frame. But Willian Bormie continued the bullpen’s solid work, surrendering just a 1 out single in his first full inning of work. Hub City failed to muster a base runner in the bottom of the 2nd, with a pair of strikeouts from DH Keith Jones II and Third Baseman Gleider Figuereo and a grounder to short off the bat of Catcher Cal Stark. In the third, Bormie worked out of a jam with men on the corners and 1 out by getting Broecker to ground into a 6-4-3 twin killing only for the Burgers’ offense to squander its most golden opportunity to cut the deficit yet, in the end leaving 2 on.
Bormie worked one more inning, once again sitting the Hot Rods in order, setting the stage for the Hub City offense to finally work their way into the run column with a leadoff double from First Baseman Arturo Disla. He took third and came home on back to back groundouts to short to make for a 4-1 deficit heading to the 5th, where Mailon Felix came out of the bullpen, promptly walking leadoff man Mac Horvath only to have him caught stealing on the next pitch. After striking out Vellojin, Spikes drew a walk, but was left on to avert the threat when Jhon Diaz popped up to short.
Following yet another quick inning turned by Edwards, the bullpen’s streak of nearly 12 scoreless innings came to an end. Haas led off with a base knock followed with a walk to Broecker. Santana also singled to load the bases for Second Baseman Emilien Pitre, who obtained an RBI the easy way with a walk. Smith added on by grounding into a 6-4-3 double play that scored Broecker. Horvath drew a 2 out walk, but ended up being left on after Vellojin popped up to short to end the rally, giving the Rods a 6-1 lead heading to the home half of the 6th, in which Hub City answered in loud fashion by cashing in a leadoff walk to Dreiling on a towering 2 out 2-run homer into the grass beyond the visitor bullpen in right by Keith Jones II to cut the deficit in half heading to the 7th.
Anthony Susac managed to work around consecutive 2 out walks to hang a goose egg and send the game to the stretch, but got no run support in the bottom of the frame as the Burgers squandered a 2 out single and a walk back to back. He returned for one more inning, working out of a huge jam after issuing a leadoff triple to Pitre and back to back free passes to Smith and Horvath, loading the bases. However the threat passed as Susac got Vellojin swinging and induced a 5-4-3 double play from Ryan Spikes, setting the stage for an eventful finish.
The Hub City offense, which had been anemic in clutch situations for most of the game, finally had a breakthrough in the bottom of the 8th, albeit with a little help. Bowling Green brought in Adam Boucher, who went just a third of an inning because he simply could not find the strike zone. He issued 4 straight bases on balls, the 4th of which scored Keith Jones and gave an easy RBI to Quincy Scott. Theo Hardy pulled the Spartanburgers to within a run with a run-scoring groundout to 1st that plated Figuereo.
Josh Mollerus gave the bullpen one more scoreless inning to notch a hold and give the Burgers a chance to walk off by working around a 1 out walk to Haas with a 4-3 twin killing. But, it was not meant to be as Bowling Green’s Josh Snyder retired Dreiling, Gutierrez, and Disla on three straight fly ball outs to earn the save, sealing a 6-5 win for the Hot Rods.
In the end, Garrett Edwards’ 5 innings of 1-run ball and having to dig out of another early deficit were just too much to overcome for the Spartanburgers, who fell to 7-5 on the season. But, despite the loss, the Burgers once again showed their propensity for making comebacks that has been on display all season long. With the series still in Hub City’s favor at 2-1, the season chugs along tomorrow night for the very first fireworks Friday at Fifth Third Park with first pitch set for 7:05 PM. David Davalillo (0-0, 1.42 ERA) is expected to make the start opposite Bowling Green’s Gill Hill (0-0, 2.00 ERA).
