Burgers Win Series At Bowling Green

The final month of the 2026 season has gotten underway with the Burgers making their penultimate road trip of the season to the first half South Atlantic League South Division champion Bowling Green Hot Rods.

Not only are the Rays’ High A affiliate the first half champs — much like last year, they are well on their way to clinching the 2nd, entering the week with a whopping 72-29 record on the season (25-12 in the second half) and a 5 game lead over the Greenville Drive (20-16) — which means if the Drive can hang on, they would get the second playoff berth for the south.

The Burgers, on the other hand went 1-4 last week against Rome with the finale postponed due to inclement weather, due to be made up as part of a road double header some time the week of the 18th. Hub City is well out of playoff contention, coming into this series at 11-24 in the second half and 45-56 overall — putting them last in the South standings. But, on a more positive note, they also came into the week with a chance to start a win streak in the opener, having beaten the Emperors 12-6 back on August 1st at Fifth Third Park.

One issue the Spartanburgers had faced coming into the week is lack of good starting pitching and inability to put together a complete game where all facets perform well. Tuesday night, Ismael Agreda looked to at least go against the recent trend for starters, and did so very well. He tossed five innings of one run ball with five hits, no walks, and 5 strikeouts.

Agreda was also given some early run support, which aside from last Saturday’s win over Rome, has been non-existent. Paxton Kling led off the game by taking the fifth pitch from Bowling Green lefty Dominic Niman over the bullpen in right for his first home run since returning from the injured list last Tuesday as well as his sixth of the season.

The Burgers added on in the top of the third when Kling notched his second hit of the day on a one out double that Casey Cook followed with an RBI single. The Rods struck for what would be their only run of the day when right fielder Ryan Cermak singled with two away and later stole second, coming home on a single from second baseman Tony Santa Maria, who was later caught stealing by Arturo De Freitas to end the inning.

Enrique Segura notched a hold with two scoreless frames in which he gave up a pair of hits, didn’t walk a batter and whiffed two. Case Matter also held the lead with a zero on no hits or walks and two strikeouts. Those efforts were rewarded in the top of the eighth with two crucial insurance runs.

Gleider Figuereo led off with one of his trademark pull side moonshots out of right for his 19th bomb of the season and a batter later, Marcos Torres recorded his first home run at the High A level, sending a line shot over the bullpen in right to stretch the lead to 4-1. J’Briell Easley was able to keep it there with his first career save, working around a one out walk to Cermak with a game-ending 6-3 double play.

In game two, AJ Russell got the start opposite right hander Kaleb Corbett looking to stretch the streak to three. The Burgers’ offense once again provides some early run support in a long top of the first. Kling led off with a single to cap a nine-pitch at bat, but was caught stealing third ahead of a single from Cook. Luke Hanson singled o the infield and then Figuereo kept the line moving with an RBI knock, taking second on an errant throw in from right. A passed ball later plated Gleider, making for a three-spot in half an inning.

Russell labored in the bottom of the second as Bowling Green loaded the bases with nobody out. Narciso Polanco laid down a bunt single to start the frame, and after a balk, first baseman Ryan McCoy drew a walk. Former USC Upstate Spartan Noah Myers was then beaned on the foot before center fielder Brendan Summerhill lofted a grand slam over the right center field fence to give the Hot Rods a 4-3 lead heading to the third.

The Rods added on in the home half of the third thanks to a leadoff walk to Cermak, who later swiped second. Russell then whiffed Polanco in a lengthy battle, ending his night after two and a third with six strikeouts, three walks, and three hits. His line would end up at five runs (four earned) after Anthony Susac came on and Ryan McCoy hit a grounder to second. Cook botched it for an error, allowing Cermak to trot home, making it 5-3 heading to the fourth.

Maxton Martin started off that frame with a leadoff bomb with two strikes, cutting the deficit back to one, and following a scoreless frame from Susac, the Burgers reclaimed the lead in the fifth. Hub City loaded the sacks with nobody out thanks to a walk to Chandler Pollard, an infield single from Kling, and another free pass to Cook. Hanson grounded to short to plate the tying run and Figuereo followed with a base hit before being caught stealing to retire the side with the Burgers up 6-5.

Susac recorded two and two-thirds scoreless with one hit, no walks, and a pair of strikeouts, giving way to Owen Proksch to start the bottom of the sixth. He ran into some trouble after a single from Polanco , who advanced into scoring position on a wild pitch with two away. Aybar then waked to put a pair on, but Proksch left the tying run on by whiffing Aybar.

The Hot Rods threatened again in the next inning thanks to some wildness from Proksch. Following a leadoff bunt single up the third base line from Summerhill, Owen threw consecutive wild pitches to move him to third before hitting Santa MAria to put runners on the corners. That forced a call to the bullpen for Jesús Gamez. Out of the pitching change, Santa Maria stole 2nd before Cermak struck out swinging. But, Gamez was able to leave the tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position by getting Polanco to fly to center, preserving the lead heading to the eighth inning.

Martin added some insurance with his second leadoff blast of the night, extending the Burgers’ lead to 7-5, and Gamez would work around a one out double from Myers to keep it there heading to the ninth. After a scoreless inning and a third from Gamez with one hit, no walks, and pair of K’s, Luimy Munoz came on for the bottom of the ninth. He worked around a two out walk to Santa Maria by ringing up Cermak, sealing the third straight win for Hub City.

Thursday night, the Spartanburgers looked to secure at least a split of the series, sending Kamdyn Perry to the hill against right hander Trevor Harrison, who is one of the top prospects in the entire Rays organization. He looked the part, as he held Hub City off the scoreboard with five scoreless innings in which he struck out seven with two hits and two walks. On the other hand, Perry surrendered five earned runs on three hits with five walks and just one whiff in three innings of work.

The Burgers did not find the scoreboard until the seventh after falling down 7-0 thanks to a three spot that included a leadoff solo shot from Marcos Torres. Following a bunt single from Macias, Cal Stark sent a two run blast to dead center that briefly pulled Hub City within four. But, it was short-lived as Santa Maria and McCoy homered in the ensuing half to make for the final 10-3 margin.

Caden Scarborough got his tenth start of the season for the Burgers in the fourth game of the series opposite right hander Jack Kartsonas. It was Scarborough that got the better of the matchup — at least until the game got into the late innings.

The Spartanburgers jumped ahead in the top of the second after a one out double from Martin. With two away, Antonis Macias singled and Arturo De Freitas followed with an RBI double making it 2-0. As Scarborough continued to mow down the Hot Rods, the Hub City bats continued to add on, going on to score in three straight frames.

In the third, Cook lined a ground rule double to center with one out and Figuereo walked with two down. Martin then blasted a three-run shot off the scoreboard in right center to extend the lead to 5-0. The fourth inning began with a two-bagger from Macias, and after a sac bunt from De Freitas, Carter Garate doubled in another run to make for a 6-0 advantage.

Bowling Green finally cracked the goose egg in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a leadoff single from McCoy. Myers would then reach on a fielding error charged to Figuereo, though Myers would later be forced at second as Diaz reached on the play. The run came on a designed play where Diaz was caught stealing at second while McCoy broke for the plate on the throw to score. Aybar later whiffed to end the inning with the Burgers on top 6-1 heading to the fifth.

Scarborough would depart after five and two-thirds, giving up just one unearned run on one hit, two walks, and five strikeouts. He was replaced by Joe Adametz, who, well frankly, had things melt down on him.

After Cook got a run back in the top of the seventh on a leadoff homer to make it 8-1, the Rods responded with three runs in the home half. In the bottom of the eighth, Bowling Green struck for another three-spot, trimming the lead to just one heading to the final inning.

Hub City went in order in the top half and Luimy Munoz walked Aybar to start the bottom. After a sac bunt and a pop out, Flewelling was walked to put the winning run on base. However, the day was saved thanks to a beautiful diving snag on a fast sinking liner to left center by Torres to secure the 8-7 win and at least a split of the series.

In game five, Zack Tiger went against left hander Dominic Fritton, looking to help the Burgers clinch a series win. The offense got right back to the one thing that helped them the most this series — backing up solid starting pitching with early offense. Luke Hanson nuked a two out solo shot to left in the top of the first.

Tiger, who missed all of 2025 after having internal brace surgery on his elbow,  rehabbed, and worked his way back to the High A roster about a month ago, had his best outing since returning last Saturday against Rome. He was building on that nicely, cruising through four innings with one unearned run on three hits, a walk, and five strikeouts.

Hanson did it again, launching a one out grand slam in the top of the third stretching the lead to 5-1. Unfortunately for the Burgers, they were not able to add on, not getting another hit until the top of the 8th, which Scott II led off with a double. Even more unfortunately, Tiger had to depart due to an apparent injury in the bottom of the fifth before recording an out. But, the Hub City bullpen also kept a trend going, backing Tiger up with another stellar performance.

Owen Proksch came on to relieve Tiger, hanging a zero despite a leadoff walk to Myers with a pair of strikeouts. Brock Porter added two more scoreless frames, surrendering a hit, a walk, and striking out four. Case Matter struck out the side despite a walk in his goose egg inning and after Hanson picked up his sixth RBI of the night with a two out single in the top of the ninth, Jesús Gamez slammed the door with two more strikeouts to leave a walk stranded and secure the 6-1 victory as well as the series win.

The Burgers aimed for a 5-win week in the finale on Sunday as Enrique Segura faced lefty Dominic Niman, who started the opener for the Hot Rods Tuesday night. Things did not get off to a great start for Segura as Santa Maria took his second pitch of the game out of left field for a leadoff homer. Flewelling followed with a base hit and later scored on a two out double from Myers to give the Rods a 2-0 lead heading to the second inning.

The Burgers broke into the run column in the ensuing half after singles from Scott and Macias thanks to a throwing error charged to the left fielder when Stark lined out. That blunder plated Scott, but Macias was left on as the next two went quietly. Segura then worked a three up three down frame, which opened the door for Hub City to tie it up with a leadoff home run from Cook in the top of the third.

But, that was the closest the game would be from there out. The Spartanburgers mustered just two hits over the final six innings while the Hot Rods offense got back to their usual form, scoring nine unanswered runs to salvage the finale with an 11-2 victory.

The Burgers return to Fifth Third Park this week to welcome the Greenville Drive for the final round of the I-85 Rivalry series of the 2026 season. Game one is set for 6:35 Tuesday night as a pair of arms yet to be named will battle it out on the bump.