Four-run rally boosts Hot Rods to extra-innings win
Published 11:37 pm Friday, August 28, 2026
Bowling Green Hot Rods second baseman Carlos Colmenarez (7) throw the ball to first baseman Ryan McCoy (31) to get Asheville Tourists designated hitter Jack Moss (28) out on first in the Hot Rods’ 4-3 win over the Tourists at the Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday, July 23, 2026.
(Grace McDowell / The Daily News)
The Bowling Green Hot Rods used a four-run top of the 10th inning to capture an 11-7 extra-innings victory over the Winston-Salem Dash on Friday at Truist Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Bowling Green (78-44 overall, 31-26 second half) started hot with two runs in the top of the first inning against starting pitcher Justin Sinibaldi. Tony Santa Maria walked, Narciso Polanco singled and Ryan McCoy worked a free pass to load the bases. Nicandro Aybar rolled a two-run single to right-center field, plating Santa Maria and Polanco for a 2-0 lead.
The Dash (68-55, 30-27) quickly turned the game around with two runs in the bottom of the first inning against Hot Rods starter Noah Beal. Three straight base runners reached to load the bases. George Wolkow hit a sacrifice fly to left field, making it 2-1. Kaleb Freeman earned a bases-loaded walk to even the game at 2-2.
The Hot Rods struck back with two runs in the top of the third against Sinibaldi. Polanco singled and came into score on two errors, giving Bowling Green a 3-2 edge. McCoy singled, moved to third on an Aybar base hit and crossed home on an RBI groundout by Carlos Colmenarez to push the lead to 4-2.
Bowling Green held onto the lead thanks to some fantastic relief pitching from Kaleb Corbett. The right-hander hurled a season-best 4 1/3 scoreless innings to preserve the Hot Rods’ two-run cushion.
Winston-Salem pulled one run back in the bottom of the sixth inning against reliever Andy Rodriguez. James Taussig doubled to left-center, advanced to third on a Freeman single and scored on a Jackson Appel sacrifice fly to center to cut the lead to 4-3.
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Bowling Green responded with three runs in the top of the seventh inning against reliever Drew Conover. McCoy dribbled an RBI single, Aybar clubbed a run-scoring triple and Colmenarez stroked a single to balloon the Hot Rods’ advantage to 7-3.
The Dash rallied with four runs in the bottom of the eighth against Ryan Andrade. Ely Brown sliced a two-out single and Javier Mogollon blasted a three-run homer to tie the game at 7-7.
Winston-Salem failed to tally a run against Garrett Gainey in the bottom of the ninth, bringing the game to extra innings. The Hot Rods profited, hanging four runs against the Dash bullpen. A pinch-hit single by Ricardo Gonzalez gave Bowling Green the advantage, Santa Maria took a bases-loaded hit by pitch and Ryan Cermak powered a two-run single to left field to boost the Bowling Green lead to 11-7.
Gainey closed it out in the bottom of the 10th inning, retiring all three batters to secure an 11-7 Hot Rods win.
Gainey (4-2) received the win, hurling two innings of scoreless relief, allowing two hits while walking one and striking out four. Landen Payne (1-1) was given the loss, surrendering two runs (one earned) on one hit while striking out three over 1 1/3 innings.
The Hot Rods and Dash play the penultimate game of a six-game series Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT. Bowling Green sends right-hander Trevor Harrison (3-1, 4.84) to the mound against Winston-Salem lefty Grant Umberger (9-7, 4.87).
