From: Hub City Spartanburgers
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — After the Hub City offense was held to two runs last night, the Spartanburgers (8-6) bats caught fire in a 15-4 beatdown of Bowling Green (7-7) Saturday. A five-run inning in the third put the Spartanburgers ahead, then nine runs in two innings against the Hot Rods’ bullpen blew the game open. The lineup bopped double-digit hits for the sixth time in 14 games.
Quincy Scott and Arturo Disla both smoked their first home runs of the year. Scott crushed his off the right-center field scoreboard in the third, and Disla drove his to the deepest part of the park, center field, in the bottom of the seventh.
D.J. McCarty worked around baserunners in each of the first two innings to hang zeroes. Santiago Suarez (L, 0-1) did not get off to the same start. The Bowling Green starter allowed the first three Hub City batters to reach with two walks and a Dylan Dreiling bloop single. The Spartanburgers scratched just one run across on a JulianBrock sacrifice fly.
Bowling Green responded in the top of the third. Emilien Pitre and Tony Santa Maria contributed singles, then Hunter Haas tacked on an RBI double to help supply a three-run frame.
Suarez returned to the mound with a two-run lead and quickly set down the first two in the Hub City order. After Disla reached on a throwing error from Haas at third base, the Spartanburgers made the Hot Rods pay. Hub City scored five runs on four hits, starting with a Keith Jonessingle, before back-to-back doubles from Julian Brock and Danyer Cueva . Scott capped it off with his two-run blast to make the score 6-3.
In the sixth, Bowling Green went to the bullpen, calling on Dylan Lesko to relieve Suarez. The Spartanburgers pummeled Lesko to the tune of four earned runs on three hits and four walks. Theo Hardy drove in two runs with a single down the right field line, Dreiling scored on a wild pitch and Casey Cook added a tally with an opposite-field base knock. Hub City led, 10-3; Lesko only got one out before he was replaced by Drew Dowd.
The first three reached to begin the seventh for Hub City. Dreiling brought home the first run of the inning on a fielder’s choice. After Cook flew out to right, Disla punished his first home run of the season to dead-center, scoring three. Bowling Green went back to the bullpen to relieve Dowd of his duties and bring in Derrick Edington. Hub City managed one last run of the game on a walk to Jones followed by a second double of the day from Brock. VictorSimeon (S, 1) tossed the final three innings for the Spartanburgers, giving up just a lone run in the eighth.
The Spartanburgers search for another series win in the final game of the series on Sunday. Jose Gonzalez (0-0, 0.00 ERA) makes his third appearance of the season for Hub City. He goes up against fellow right-hander T.J. Nichols (0-1, 6.00 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. ET with an Easter Egg Hunt, presented by Eggs Up Grill, to follow the game.
