Bowling Green 6, Savannah 2

The Bowling Green Hot Rods (17-16) fell behind early but scored six unanswered runs to down the Savannah Sand Gnats (17-15), 6-2, tonight in front of 2,274 at the Bowling Green Ballpark.

It was the bottom of the order for the Hot Rods that did most of the scoring on the evening and it would be them igniting the fire in the fifth. Isaias Velasquez doubled with one down and moved to third on a ground out by Jason Tweedy. With two away it seemed Elvin Ramirez (2-2) would get out of the inning but a walk to John Mollicone prolonged the inning for the number nine hitter, Justin Reynolds.
Reynolds, who finished the game 3-for-3 with four RBI, drove in one of his four runs with a single to center to tie the game at two. Anthony Scelfo picked up his second hit of the series with a single to right to give Bowling Green a lead they would not give back.

Ramirez went five innings for the Gnats and permitted three runs on six hits. The Hot Rods would open it up with three more in the sixth off reliever Chris Schwinden, who was pitching in his first game back off the disabled list. The Visalia, Calif. native would give up three in the sixth before pitching a one-two-three seventh.
Lost in the loss is an unorthodox triple play turned by Savannah to end the third inning. With runners at second and third and no outs, Scelfo hit a fly ball to center fielder Juan Lagares for the first out. Mollicone then broke for home trying to score on the play and Lagares rifled a throw home to retire him for the second out. When the throw came home, Reynolds broke from second to third and Kai Gronauer threw him out to complete the triple play.

Gronauer also hit his second home run of the season in a losing effort for Savannah as he went 1-for-3. Sean Ratliff, Josh Satin and Rafael Fernandez had the Sand Gnats other three hits.

The Gnats and Hot Rods conclude the series tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. CT.