The Bowling Green Hot Rods took an early lead, but they couldn’t hold off the Greenville Drive, losing 6-4 in the series finale on Sunday at Fluor Field in Greenville, South Carolina.

The day started off hot for the Hot Rods (5-4), plating three runs in the top of the first against Drive starter Hayden Mullins. Chandler Simpson and Brayden Taylor led off the inning with singles. Xavier Isaac stepped into the batter’s box and knocked a base hit into right field, scoring Simpson, advancing Taylor to third, making it a 1-0 Hot Rods lead. Isaac stole second, and Cooper Kinney singled to right, scoring both runners to cap off a 3-0 lead after one inning.

Greenville (3-6) responded with three runs in the bottom of the third inning against Bowling Green starter Duncan Davitt. Miguel Ugueto led off the inning with a single and scored on a double from Tyler Miller, making it 3-1. Cutter Coffey drove in Miller with a base hit, and Kristian Campbell brought in Coffey on an RBI double, tying the game 3-3.

The Hot Rods regained the lead in the top of the fifth against Drive reliever Nathan Landry. Simpson led off with a single and Taylor walked. Both runners took the next base on a double steal. Kinney grounded out to second, plating Simpson for a 4-3 lead.

The Drive drove in two runs in the bottom of the fifth against Hot Rods reliever Sandy Gaston. Coffey led off with a double and Campbell walked. Allan Castro grounded out to second, moving runners to second and third. Ronald Rosario grounded out to second, scoring Coffey, tying the game 4-4. Luis Ravelo doubled to right, driving in Campbell to take a 5-4 lead.

Castro tripled in the bottom of the seventh against Hot Rods reliever Jack Hartman, and on a throwing error from Jhon Diaz in left, scored an insurance run for the Drive, pushing their lead to 6-4. Bowling Green couldn’t score the rest of the way, dropping the series finale 6-4.

Landry (1-0) worked through 2 1/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit, walking one and striking out two in his first win of the season. Gaston (0-1) tossed one inning, surrendering two runs on one hit, walking three and striking out one in his first loss of the year. Caleb Bolden finished the final 2/3 of an inning with no hits, no runs, one walk, and one strikeout in his first save.

The Hot Rods return home to take on the Winston-Salem Dash in a six-game series at Bowling Green Ballpark on Tuesday with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch.