Fort Wayne utilized timely hitting by Kyle Gaedele and Donavan Tate to pull out a late 3-2 win over Bowling Green at Parkview Field on Sunday.
The teams were tied at one in the eighth inning when Gaedele drove in a run with a single and was then brought home on an RBI hit by Donavan Tate, as the TinCaps stretched the lead to 3-1.
Matt Wisler pitched six innings, allowing one run and striking out three, as he led a trio of TinCaps hurlers in the winning effort.
Bowling Green (26-24) scratched across a run against Wisler in the first inning.Ryan Brett, who had notched five hits against Wisler on May 21st, began the ballgame with a triple into left field. Two batters later, Jeff Malm grounded out and Brett scored to give the Hot Rods a 1-0 advantage.
Fort Wayne (24-26) did not register a hit until there were two men down in the bottom of the third inning. Hot Rods starter Roberto Gomez retired the first eight batters of the contest before Gaedele singled to center field.
Lee Orr, narrowly missing a home run, tripled off the top of the wall in right-center field as he led off in the fifth for Fort Wayne. Yeison Asencio then singled and Orr crossed home to even the score at one.That was the only run Gomez allowed in seven innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out two, but did not factor in the decision.
Charlie Cononie (1-2) relieved Gomez in the eighth. Austin Hedges led off with a double down the right field line, and scored when Gaedele singled him home. Leading 2-1, the TinCaps stretched their lead to 3-1 when Tate followed two batters later with a run-producing single.
Johnny Barbato relieved Wisler and worked the seventh and eighth. Barbato (4-0) allowed neither a hit nor a run and struck out three. Daniel Cropper worked the ninth and despite allowing a solo home run to Jeff Malm, earned his fifth save in six tries. Cropper passed Matt Stites, who has four, for the team lead in saves.
