Game 1 FINAL: West Michigan Whitecaps 3, Bowling Green Hot Rods 0
The Bowling Green Hot Rods have won most of their series so far this season- that’s why they sit in first place in the Midwest League. However, there is one team that the Hot Rods cannot seem to beat – the West Michigan Whitecaps.
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Both teams have met once already this season. They battled in a four-game series down in Comstock Park, Michigan last week. The Whitecaps won all but one game over Bowling Green, by a combined score total of 24 to 8. As you can tell, West Michigan had the bats going.
The Hot Rods welcomed the Whitecaps into Bowling Green Ballpark yesterday evening to begin another four-game series. BG looked to actually win this series over the ”Whitewashin’ Whitecaps.” A win in Game 1 of the new series would be very beneficial for the Hot Rods in defeating the Whitecaps on their home turf.
Things were set to get going with first pitch thrown at 6:35 p.m. Bowling Green placed right-handed pitcher Greg Harris (2-3) on the mound, as he faced the Whitecaps lead-off man in centerfielder Derek Hill. Harris and the Hot Rod defense started the contest with a 1-2-3 inning, as Derek Hill popped out to first base, David Gonzalez lined out to shortstop Cristian Toribio, and Ross Kivett was struke-out by Harris. BG came to bat and Thomas Milone and Jace Conrad both reached on Whitecap errors, but Casey Gillaspie flew out ending the inning.
In the top of the second inning, Michael Gerber was walked by Greg Harris, and Zach Shepherd hit a sacrifice fly ball to right field sending Gerber home to score. That gave West Michigan a 1-0 lead over the Hot Rods. That’s all we would get in the inning, as two Hot Rods flew out and Grant Kay strikesout retiring the side for the Whitecap defense.
In the third inning, both teams went 1-2-3 and the scoreboard still read 1-0 after three. But in the fourth inning, there was another run scored, but by West Michigan. The Hot Rods offense was completely hopeless during the first part of the game, and it remained the way throughout the remainder of the contest, as the Whitecaps won the first game of the series, 3-0.
Bowling Green (22-16) and West Michigan (19-19) go at it once again this evening at 6:35 p.m. CDT in Downtown Bowling Green at BG Ballpark. You can listen to the game at 1340wbgn.com or watch the game at MiLB.TV. Check back here at Grading on the Curve on Friday, as I will have your series recap available.
–You can stay up to date with Bowling Green Hot Rods baseball by following @HotRodsNation on Twitter at twitter.com/HotRodsNation.-
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