Early Deficit Dooms Dash

Despite out-hitting the Hot Rods 8-3, Winston-Salem strands eight and drops game three after a two-hour delay by a 3-2 final

May 12, 2025

Winston-Salem, NC (May 8, 2025) – An early lead for Bowling Green (16-14) proved too much for Winston-Salem (11-19), who dropped a late Thursday contest 3-2. A two-hour rain delay didn’t dampen the Hot Rods' bats. With two outs in the top of the first inning, Mac Horvath gave the

Winston-Salem, NC (May 8, 2025) – An early lead for Bowling Green (16-14) proved too much for Winston-Salem (11-19), who dropped a late Thursday contest 3-2.

A two-hour rain delay didn’t dampen the Hot Rods' bats. With two outs in the top of the first inning, Mac Horvath gave the visitors the early advantage for the third game in a row.

The Bowling Green second baseman hammered his sixth home run of the season off Dash starter Seth Keener to grab an early 2-0 advantage.

The Dash offense found themselves in a familiar spot, behind on the board early, but like they had done the two days prior, they started to chip away at the deficit. Sam Antonacci doubled in Samuel Zavala in the third inning to cut the deficit in half.

The Hot Rods wasted no time and tacked on another run in the fourth to answer the Winston-Salem offense. Daniel Vellojin roped a double into the right-center field gap to extend the Bowling Green lead to 3-1.

The double was the second, and apart from the home run, the only other hit allowed by Keener (0-4) on the night. The right-hander had tough luck in his fourth loss of the year. His 6.0 innings of work saw three runs score on just two hits. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacon and 2023 third-round draft pick by the White Sox struck out five Hot Rods on the night.

Winston-Salem tacked on one more in the bottom of the sixth. Arxy Hernandez lined a double into the left field corner that brought Braden Montgomery around to score and cut the deficit down to 3-2.

Across from Keener, T.J. Nichols (2-1) also dished 6.0 innings from the hill. The Bowling Green allowed just two runs despite six scattered hits by Winston-Salem.

Despite other opportunities for the Dash after the sixth, they were blanked the rest of the ball game and fell by a 3-2 final.

In the end, the Dash piled on eight hits while the Hot Rods only found three. However, with runners in scoring position, the Dash were a quiet 2-13, and left eight runners on base throughout the contest.

Winston-Salem will look to bounce back Friday, May 9, in game four of the six-game set.