[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]Anthony Scelfo wrapped up a terrific home stand with another home run and a three-hit game on Wednesday afternoon, leading the Hot Rods to a 10-4 rout of Lake County at Bowling Green Ballpark. Scelfo’s big day helped the Hot Rods salvage a split with the Captains to wrap up their four-game series. The win gave the Hot Rods a 3-5 mark on their eight-game home stand, leaving them in third place heading into their road trip to Savannah and Asheville beginning on Friday night.
Scelfo, the Koch Air Hottest Hitter, began his day with a single in the third before he was retired in a double play. In the fifth he had a lead-off single in front of Tim Beckham. On the first pitch to Beckham, Scelfo stole second and advanced to third when the throw went into center field. The center fielder Donnie Webb threw to third base to try and nab Scelfo, but his throw bounced off the third baseman and skidded into foul territory to allow Scelfo to run the final 90 feet for a run.
An inning later Scelfo made his biggest statement of the day after lead-off walks to Jason Tweedy and Justin Reynolds. Facing relief pitcher Ryan Miller Scelfo homered over the center field wall into the batter’s eye to break the game open and give the Hot Rods an 8-1 lead at the time. The home was Anthony’s fourth of this home stand, capping off a big week at Bowling Green Ballpark. He finished the stand 10-30 (.333) with four dingers and nine RBI while scoring another six runs. He raised his average to .251 heading on the road trip.
Scelfo and the rest of the Hot Rods made it an easy day for Nick Barnese (5-4). The right-hander snapped a three-game personal losing streak by throwing six innings of one run ball. He gave up just two hits and a walk, allowing only two runners to reach second base and beyond. He added three more strikeouts while holding the Captains hitless in two at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Barnese was given an early lead in the first inning thanks to a one-out ground-rule double by Tim Beckham, his 24th two-bagger of the season. Two batters later Beckham scored on a single by Mike Sheridan to make it 1-0.
They added a run in the third inning when Justin Reynolds laid down a bunt single to begin the frame. He advanced to second on Scelfo’s first hit before taking third when Beckham grounded into a double play. Reynolds scored a few pitches later when starter Danny Salazar (3-4) threw a wild pitch to make it 2-0.
After the Captains scored on Barnese in the fourth the Hot Rods got the run right back in their half of the inning. With one out, Isaias Velasquez walked before being retired on force out from Kyeong Kang. John Mollicone followed with a walk to put runners at first and second for Jason Tweedy. The second baseman delivered with an RBI singled to right field to bump the lead back to 3-1. The base hit extended Tweedy’s hitting streak to a season-best five games while giving him an RBI in three straight.
Bowling Green added two more runs in the fifth when Scelfo scored on his stolen base-two error trip around the bases. Two batters later Jake Jefferies followed with his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to right field to make the score 5-1. After Scelfo’s three-run homer in the sixth, the Hot Rods capped off their scoring with two more in the eighth courtesy of Tweedy’s second RBI (coming on fielder’s choice) followed by a run-scoring double from Justin Reynolds.
The Hot Rods finished the game with 13 hits, their highest total on the home stand. Each member of the offense was on base while eight of nine hitters recorded a base knock. Scelfo, Jefferies, Velasquez, and Reynolds all had multiple hit games. Scelfo was joined by Tweedy as the only players to drive in multiple runs as well.
The Hot Rods now have Thursday off to board the bus and head to Savannah, GA, to begin an eight game road trip with the Sand Gnats and the Asheville Tourists. Game one with Savannah begins at 5:30 PM CDT on Friday night with LHP Matt Moore (6-4, 2.85) facing RHP Kyle Allen (7-6, 3.98). Pre-game coverage begins on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com with Tom Gauthier at 5:15 PM CDT.
The Hot Rods return home to begin an eight-game home stand on Saturday, August 8 at 7:05 PM. The first 1,000 fans into that night’s game against Greenville (Boston Red Sox) will received a replica of Bowling Green Ballpark courtesy of BB&T. For tickets, visit www.bghotrods.com or head to the Hot Rods ticket office at the corner of 8th Avenue and Center Street at Bowling Green Ballpark.
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