[Via email from the Bowling Green Hot Rods' broadcaster Tom Gauthier.]In the final game of their Inaugural Season, the Hot Rods got solid starting pitching from Michael Jarman, but the bats were kept quite by Legends starter Robert Bono (10-8) in a 5-1 Lexington victory. The loss completes a series sweep for the Hot Rods at the hands of the Legends. Bowling Green finishes its first season with a 30-38 second half record and a 64-74 overall mark in their lone season in the South Atlantic League. They also finished Monday’s game with 3,150 fans, giving them 232,980 on the season, an average of 3,530 per game.
Making his tenth and final start of the season, Jarman (4-6) kept the Legends in check for seven strong innings. He gave up just two runs on seven hits becoming the first Hot Rod starter to complete seven frames since Frank De Los Santos accomplished the feat on July 17 at Delmarva. The only batter to drive in a run against Jarman was Marques Williams, who picked up one RBI on a groundout in the fifth before doubling home another run in the top of the seventh.
Jarman struck out two and walked only one, lowering his ERA to 3.82. His ERA as a starter is even more impressive at 2.88, having allowed 16 earned runs over 50 innings.
Bono was even more impressive for the Legends, throwing a complete game. He allowed just one run on four hits. He didn’t allow a base runner until Mike Sheridan singled in the fifth, breaking Bono’s streak of 14 in a row retired to begin the game. He allowed just one more hit without issuing a walk and striking out three.
Lexington added three insurance runs against Neil Schenk in the top of the ninth, getting a lead-off home run from Eric Suttle. Two batters later Freddie Hernandez doubled home Jeff Hulett for a 4-0 lead. Two batters after that Chris Jackson singled home Hernandez to cap the scoring at 5-0.
For the Hot Rods, Kyeong Kang, Sheridan, Jason Tweedy, and Tim Beckham had the only hits. Beckham’s base hit came with one out in the ninth, scoring Tweedy for the Hot Rods only run. Sheridan’s base hit capped off a great series as he went 7-13 with a double, a triple, and four RBI against the Legends. For Kang, the base hit extended his hitting streak to a team-record 17 games. During the run, which will carry over into 2010, Kang hit .412, going 26-63.
Beckham finished the season with 135 hits, 33 doubles, and 63 RBI, all team-highs in 2009. Sheridan set the team record with 14 home runs while Kang led the team with seven triples.
On the pitching staff Chris Andujar set the bar high with ten wins. Matt Moore led the team and the league with 176 strikeouts. Before his promotion to Charlotte in the Florida State League, Josh Satow saved 20 games to set the team record.
With the season now over, the Hot Rods look forward to a move to the Midwest League for 2010. They will begin their inaugural season in the new league on April 8 with the opener of a three-game series at Fort Wayne, IN. They open the 2010 season at home on April 11 against the Dayton Dragons, Class A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. For the complete schedule as well as season ticket information, visit www.bghotrods.com.
Congratulations to the local management of the Hot Rods. They are first class in every respect. They are very well organized and put on a great show. I can see total attendance approaching 275,000 or more next year. Minor league Baseball has been a big hit in Bowling Green and will continue to grow in the future.
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