Fort Wayne can not say that it didn’t have opportunities to close its series with Bowling Green on a positive note. The TinCaps twice left the bases loaded, as well as managed just three hits in 16 at bats with runners in scoring position, as their attempt for a three-game sweep of the Hot Rods was thwarted in a 4-3 loss at Parkview Field on Friday.
Bowling Green (7-8 second half, 45-40) tallied the game’s first run against Fort Wayne starter Colin Rea in the second inning. Cameron Seitzer and Matt Rice hit-back-to-back singles to begin the inning. Rice’s hit sent Seitzer to third, and he later scored on a sacrifice bunt by Juniel Querecuto.
Fort Wayne (10-5, 41-44) tied the game 1-1 on a Kyle Gaedele RBI single in the top of the third. But the Hot Rods plated another run in the top of the third, and one more in the top of the fourth against Rea (2-5). The right-hander departed with one out in the fourth inning, having surrendered eight hits and three runs, two of them earned. In his 10th start of the year, he walked two and struck out three.
Despite loading the bases in the fourth inning, Fort Wayne scored just one run. Gaedele drove in his second run of the night, which was followed by consecutive groundouts by Felix Cabrera and Travis Jankowski, which left the bases full.
Bowling Green stretched its advantage to 4-2 in the fifth, but the TinCaps threatened again in the sixth inning. Fort Wayne loaded the bases but got just one run on a groundout by Tyler Stubblefield, setting the score at 4-3.
The game ended with Jace Peterson stranded on the bases, as Mike Gallic grounded out with Peterson at second and Yeison Asencio grounded out with Peterson at third, leaving the tying run aboard.
Hot Rods starter Jake Floethe (8-1) earned the win, working 5 1/3 innings, and allowing three earned runs on eight hits.
