[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]In front of a Tuesday Standing-Room Only crowd of 4,791, Tim Beckham continued his torrid hitting by racking a pair of singles against the West Virginia Power. As a team, however, the Hot Rods were victimized by missed opportunities in a 3-1 loss to the Power. The loss is the team’s seventh straight, leaving them 8.5 games out of first place with a playoff elimination number of five with 13 games to go.
Bowling Green’s first missed opportunity came in the bottom of the first inning. After the power took a 1-0 lead on a pair of singles and a double error by Tim Beckham in the top of the first, Beckham singled and went to third on an error in the last half of the inning. With one out, Kyeong Kang hit a fly ball to right field that turned into a double play at home when Austin McClune threw out Beckham for what would’ve been the tying run.
It was déjà-vu for the Hot Rods an inning later as Isaias Velasquez singled in front of a one-out double from Mike Sheridan to put runners at second and third. Robi Estrada would then lift a fly ball to left fielder Quincy Latimore for the second out. Velasquez, trying to score from third, was gunned out at home by Latimore to end the inning with another fly-ball double play.
Latimore picked up another outfield assist in the fourth inning. After a lead-off walk to Kyeong Kang, Jason Corder belted a single down the left field line. Kang, with a full head of steam, chugged around second and was trying to take third when Latimore threw a strike to that base, nailing Kang for the first out of the inning. Bowling Green would fail to score in that frame when Corder was wiped out on a fielder’s choice before Mike Sheridan fouled out to end the frame.
In the sixth, it was more of the same for the Hot Rods as Beckham led off with a single against relief pitcher Casey Erickson. He came around to score on a Kyeong Kang double to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Bowling Green wasn’t able to take full advantage of the situation, however, as Corder, Velasquez, and Sheridan were all retired with the tying run stranded at second base.
They missed one more opportunity in the ninth inning as well, as Anthony Scelfo started the inning with a single before stealing second on a Beckham strikeout. He took third on a ground out by Kang but was stranded when Corder struck out to end the inning.
West Virginia, meanwhile, took advantage of their opportunities, scoring all three of their runs with two outs. In the first inning against Chris Andujar (10-4), Tim Beckham committed a double-error on a ground ball from Kyle Morgan, scoring the game’s first run. In the third, Andujar allowed a single, a walk, and then an RBI single from Bobby Spain to plate a second run. In the eighth, Michael Jarman surrendered a two-out homer to Morgan to cap the scoring at 3-1.
Beckham, the Koch Air Hottest Hitter, finished the game 2-4, scoring another run. He has hit safely in eight straight, going 17-34 during the run.
The series continues with game two on Wednesday night at Bowling Green Ballpark. Wednesday night is AT&T Real Yellow Pages Night. The first 500 fans into the ballpark will receive AT&T Real Yellow Pages Koozies. First pitch at Bowling Green Ballpark is 6:35 PM. Gates open at 5:00 PM for season ticket holders and 5:30 PM for the general public. For tickets, visit bghotrods.com You can follow the game on the radio beginning at 6:20 PM with Tom Gauthier on 1340 WBGN and www.bghotrods.com.
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