News Summary
In a thrilling contest, the Bowling Green Hot Rods defeated the Greensboro Grasshoppers 9-6, showcasing an impressive offensive display highlighted by key home runs. The Hot Rods took an early lead and maintained their advantage, despite a spirited comeback attempt by the Grasshoppers. The game featured standout performances from several players, further solidifying Bowling Green’s competitiveness in the series. The two teams faced each other again the next day with the Grasshoppers narrowly winning the matchup.
Greensboro, North Carolina – The Bowling Green Hot Rods secured a 9-6 victory against the Greensboro Grasshoppers in their second match of a weekend series on Saturday, May 31, 2025. With this win, the Hot Rods improved their overall record to 27-22.
The game, held at First National Bank Field, showcased a strong offensive performance from Bowling Green, highlighted by home runs from Daniel Vellojin, Emilien Pitre, and Aidan Smith. The Hot Rods took an early lead, scoring in the top of the first inning against Grasshoppers pitcher Connor Wietgrefe. After Adrian Santana’s leadoff single and a walk for Smith, Mac Horvath’s groundout allowed Santana to score, giving Bowling Green a quick 1-0 advantage.
The second inning saw the Hot Rods’ offense surge dramatically, beginning with a walk issued to Ryan Cermak. This was followed by Vellojin hitting a two-run homer, expanding Bowling Green’s lead to 3-0. Santana and Smith contributed base hits later in the inning, leading to Pitre hitting a three-run homer that brought the score to 6-0, establishing a commanding position for the Hot Rods.
Greensboro answered back in the bottom of the second inning with a run scored by PJ Hilson, who drove in Duce Gourson with a base hit. The Grasshoppers continued to chip away at the deficit, scoring two runs in the fourth inning, thanks to a two-run homer from Geovanny Planchart.
In the fifth inning, Greensboro inched closer with a two-run homer by Omar Alfonso, narrowing the score to 6-5. However, Bowling Green responded decisively in the sixth inning with Smith’s three-run homer, pushing the lead back to 9-5. Greensboro managed one more run in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Jesus Castillo, but the final three innings concluded without further scoring, sealing Bowling Green’s 9-6 victory.
On the mound for the Hot Rods, Gary Gill Hill earned the win, despite allowing five runs over five innings. Wietgrefe, who lasted just 1 2/3 innings, was tagged with the loss after surrendering six runs. Jonalbert Rumbol earned his first save, managing two scoreless innings.
The series finale took place the following day, June 1, 2025, where the Hot Rods fell to the Grasshoppers, 2-1. Greensboro improved their record to 34-16 with this victory. The Grasshoppers scored the only runs of the game in the fourth inning when Esmerlyn Valdez led off with a walk, and subsequent hits resulted in two runs crossing the plate.
Bowling Green managed to score one run in the fifth inning, courtesy of a fielder’s choice by Daniel Vellojin, but both bullpens held strong, resulting in no further scoring for the remaining four innings. The Grasshoppers’ Hung-Leng Chang took the win, whereas Bowling Green’s Hayden Snelsire suffered his first loss of the season.
Both teams finished the Sunday matchup with four hits each, demonstrating fierce competition on the field. After the series, the Hot Rods will have an off-day on Monday, June 2, before starting a new series against the Jersey Shore Blue Claws.
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Additional Resources
- MILB: Snelsire Strikes Out Six in Hot Rods 2-1 Loss
- Wikipedia: Bowling Green Hot Rods
- BG Daily News: Hot Rods Game Report
- Google Search: Bowling Green Hot Rods
- MILB: Grasshoppers Defeat Hot Rods 2-1
- Google Scholar: Bowling Green Hot Rods 2025
- BG Daily News: Hot Rods Game Recap
- Encyclopedia Britannica: Hot Rod Baseball
- MILB: Horvath, Vellojin Homer in Hot Rods 7-6 Win
- Google News: Greensboro Grasshoppers
