Mother Nature had her own plan in mind for Friday’s game four between Hub City and Bowling Green, with a slow moving rain shower leading to a two-hour delay. Because of that, the game would be shortened to seven innings.
The Burgers paid tribute to their parent club by wearing powder blue jerseys that mimic those worn by the Texas Rangers and sent Joe Adametz (2-5, 5.54 ERA) to face right hander Jack Kartsonas (5-3, 4.80).
As has been the trend this week, Adametz had a great first inning, retiring the side in order with a pair of strikeouts. But, opposite the recent trends, he worked around a leadoff single in the second, striking out one more as he sat the next three in order. That was rewarded with a lead in the bottom half.
After recording a golden sombrero (0-4, four strikeouts, three of which were looking) on Thursday, Gleider Figuereo lined the third pitch of his first at-bat Friday out of right for a solo homer, staking Adametz to a 1-0 lead heading to the third inning.
Adametz continued the trend of leadoff base hits over the next two frames, getting a Déjà vu moment in the top of the third with a grounder, a K, and a line drive to leave the runner on 2nd. In the fourth, a liner to center and a 4-6-3 double play got him out of it.
Hector Osorio added to the lead in the home fourth with a one out no-doubt solo blast to right before Adametz once again left a runner on. Carlos Colmenarez was hit by a pitch, but immediately was erased on another 4-6-3 double play. Bryan Broecker kept the inning alive for the Hot Rods with a walk, but Juanfel Peguero popped up to second to retire the side, sending the game to the bottom of the fifth with Hub City up 2-0.
Bowling Green finally broke through in the sixth after a one out single from Narciso Polanco. Connor Hujsak followed with an RBI triple off the wall in right center just under the video board. The ball ricocheted and rolled all the way back to shallow center to allow Hujsak to cruise into third standing.
Tony Santa Maria later drew a walk and stole second, leading to former USC Upstate Spartan Noah Myers tying the game with a sacrifice fly to center, ending the night for Adametz. Luke Savage got a fly ball to center to end the frame, closing the book on Joe after five and two thirds with four strikeouts, two walks, and two earned runs on five hits.
After the Burgers went down in order in the bottom half of the frame, a leadoff walk to first baseman Larry Martinez came back to bite Savage. With two out, Aidan Smith mashed a no doubt two run homer into the home bullpen in right. Savage rebounded by ringing up Polanco. But, Bowling Green held the edge heading to the last call for the Burgers.
Unfortunately, things ended anticlimactically with a three up three down frame as Hub City dropped their fourth straight contests and ninth in their last ten. Game five is set for 4:35 Saturday evening as Aj Russell (1-1, 3.12) faces Trevor Harrison (1-1, 5.29).
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