Logan Hanson

Updated: May 06, 2021

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (BVM) — Though fans of the Bowling Green Hot Rods minor league baseball team had to wait an extra day for the beginning of the baseball season, due to their scheduled opener on May 5 being rescheduled due to rain, the wait was worth it. In their season opener against the Greenville Drive, the Hot Rods began their season with an offensive flurry, using  15 hits to propel them to the 9-2 Opening Day victory at Fluor Field in Greenville, S.C.

First baseman Evan Edwards led the Hot Rods offensive attack as he finished the day going a team best 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Left fielder Jordan Qsar also had a strong game as he went 3-for-5 with a two run home-run in the ninth. Qsar wasn’t the first Hot Rod to go deep though as center fielder Grant Witherspoon hit a solo shot to start off the ninth a couple batters before, helping him round out his day 1-for-4 with the homer, the single RBI and a walk.

Bowling Green’s starting pitcher Peyton Battenfield had a career day on the mound as he tied a career high with six strikeouts over four innings pitched, which tied another career high for the starter. The pitcher would end the day giving up just two hits and two walks while allowing an average of .143 with no runs scored.

Reliever Tanner Dodson would allow two runs on three hits with a walk and two strikeouts over 1.2 innings pitched. His replacement, Carlos Garcia, earned the win after pitching two innings of scoreless, hitless baseball where he walked one and had three strikeouts. Christopher Gau would close the game in the final 1 ⅓ innings giving up no hits or walks while striking out three Drive batters.

In total, the Hot Rods’ pitchers would give up just five hits while sitting down 14 Drive batters on strikes. The win pushed the Hot Rods’ Opening Day record to 9-3 overall and pushed their franchise record against Greenville to .500 at 7-7. The Hot Rods will continue the six-game series in Greenville with a doubleheader today beginning at 4 p.m.