Hot Rods steal franchise-record 9 bases in win
Published 9:32 pm Thursday, May 14, 2026
Bowling Green’s Emilien Pitre (7) makes a throw during the Hotrods game against Brooklyn on Thursday, May 7, 2026 at Bowling Green Ballpark in Bowling Green, Ky. (Caleb Lowndes / Daily News) (Caleb Lowndes)
The Bowling Green Hot Rods stole a franchise-record nine bases and Anderson Brito hurled five scoreless frames, leading to a 5-1 win over the Greenville Drive on Thursday in South Atlantic League action at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.
The Hot Rods (25-11) drove in the first run of the game in the top of the third inning against Drive starting pitcher Dylan Brown. J.D. Gonzalez led off with a walk and moved to third on an Adrian Santana single. One out later, Nathan Flewelling grounded out, scoring Gonzalez and giving the Hot Rods a 1-0 lead.
Bowling Green added to the lead in the top of the fourth against Brown. Narciso Polanco reached on a one-out single and Marshall Toole was hit by a pitch. A double steal put runners on second and third, and Angel Mateo singled to left to score Polanco and the Bowling Green advantage to 2-0.
Another run came around to score for the Hot Rods in the top of the sixth against Drive reliever Calvin Bickerstaff. Emilien Pitre led off with a single and stole second. He advanced to third on a Polanco fly out and scored on a Toole base hit, making it 3-0 Hot Rods.
The lead ballooned for the Hot Rods in the top of the eighth inning against Bickerstaff. Pitre led off with a walk, stole second base and scored on a Connor Hujsak single. Hujsak stole second base and scored on a Polanco double, making it 5-0 Bowling Green.
Greenville plated its only run in the bottom of the ninth against Bowling Green reliever Junior William. Yophery Rodriguez led off with a double. One out later, Antonio Anderson singled him home. William recorded the next two outs, ending the game with a 5-1 Hot Rods win.
Brito (3-2) earned the win, tossing five scoreless innings, giving up four hits while walking five and striking out three batters. Brown (0-2) was given the loss, surrendering two runs on three hits, walking two and striking out seven over five innings.
The Hot Rods and Drive play the fourth game of a six-game series on Friday with a 5:45 p.m. CT first pitch at Fluor Field. Bowling Green will start left-hander Garrett Gainey (2-1, 4.30) against righty Marcus Phillips (0-2, 7.64).
