Polanco’s homer lifts Hot Rods to second-half crown
Published 6:00 pm Sunday, September 6, 2026
Bowling Green Hot Rods shortstop Narciso Polanco (6) bats in the Hot Rods’ 6-5 win against the Hudson Valley Renegades at Bowling Green Ballpark on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
(Grace McDowell / The Daily News)
Two eighth inning home runs from Jhon Diaz and Narciso Polanco surged the Bowling Green Hot Rods to a 4-3 win over the Greenville Drive to clinch the South Atlantic League’s South Division second-half title Sunday at Bowling Green Ballpark.
Sunday’s win marks the second time in Bowling Green’s franchise history that the Hot Rods have won both halves of a season. Bowling Green (82-48 overall, 35-30 second half) has now won the last five SAL South Division halves since the second half of the 2024 season.
The Drive (59-70, 33-33) scored first, plating two runs in the top of the third inning against Hot Rods starting pitcher Blake Morgan. Nazzan Zanetello and Skylar King logged back-to-back singles and moved to second and third on a groundout. Owen Hull slapped a two-run single to left-center field, giving Greenville a 2-0 advantage.
Bowling Green’s bullpen started strong to keep the game at 2-0 through seven innings. Jadon Bercovich fanned the side in the top of the sixth, while Jacob Hartlaub earned two strikeouts in the seventh inning.
Greenville added one more run in the top of the eighth inning against reliever Andy Rodriguez. Jake Shaffner singled, advanced to second on a Hull walk and scored on an Isaiah Jackson base hit to make it 3-0 Drive.
The Hot Rods turned the game around with four runs in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Trennor O’Donnell. Diaz led off the frame with a solo home run to right field, cutting the lead to 3-1. Jose Perez and Brendan Summerhill logged one-out singles, and Polanco torched a three-run shot to right field for a 4-3 Bowling Green edge.
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Mason Nichols hurled a scoreless top of the ninth inning, clinching a 4-3 Hot Rods victory.
Rodriguez (3-3) received the win with an inning, allowing one run on two hits with one walk and two strikeouts. O’Donnell (2-2) took the loss, surrendering four runs on four hits, adding two strikeouts in 3 1/3innings. Nichols earned the save with a shutdown nint, giving up just one hit and fanning one batter.
The Hot Rods begin the 2026 SAL Division Series on Tuesday night at Truist Stadium against the Winston-Salem Dash. Game 1 of a three-game series is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.
