The Wilmington Blue Rocks were able to salvage a split with the Bowling Green Hot Rods, rallying for a 7-5 win at Bowling Green Ballpark on Sunday.

Wilmington (24-25) had the final surge in a back-and-forth affair to make it two straight against Bowling Green (27-24) and earned a split in the six-game series.

Both teams scored a run in the first inning, missing chances to add more runs.

Wilmington got an RBI double from Jeremy De La Rosa, but Vlandel Perez was thrown out at the plate on the same play. Brayden Taylor stole home as part of a double steal for the Hot Rods, but BG left the bases loaded in the inning and the score remained 1-1.

The Blue Rocks regained the lead on an RBI double from Daylen Lile in the third, but Bowling Green answered again with Elis Barreat’s first hit as a Hot Rod, an opposite field two-run shot that made the score 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth.

It was the first of three lead changes coming by way of a two-run homer.

De La Rosa’s two-run shot in the fifth put Wilmington back in the sixth but Taylor answered with a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, to make the score 5-4.

Wilmington quickly answered back, but this time with a little help from the BG defense. De La Rosa tied the score on his third hit of the day, an RBI single, but a throwing error from right fielder Jhon Diaz allowed a second run to score – putting the Blue Rocks back in front. T.J. White added an RBI single as Wilmington extended the advantage to 7-5.

Hot Rods got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of ninth, but couldn’t rally for a third time in the game.

Barreat finished with three hits, while Taylor added two hits for the Hot Rods.

Drew Sommers (2-2) took the loss in relief, allowing two earned runs in one inning.

Starter Duncan Davitt pitched five innings, allowing two runs and five hits with three strikeouts.

NO SUN ON SUNDAYS

The Hot Rods’ series finale woes continued with BG dropping to 2-7 on Sundays this season. Bowling Green is 1-4 in Sunday series’ finales at home, dropping three straight in finales at BG Ballpark.

UP NEXT

The Hot Rods head on the road for a six-game series at Asheville. Game one is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. CDT on Tuesday. It’s the first meeting between the two teams this season.

Neither team has announced a starter for Tuesday’s opener.{&end}