Crawdads drop three straight one-run contests

The Hickory Crawdads won their first five one-run games of the season, but have lost their last four such contests, including three one-run defeats in a row earlier this week.

The Crawdads still carried a 15-8 record into Thursday’s late road contest against the Fredericksburg (Va.) Nationals — who at 16-7 were the only team in the Single-A Carolina League with a better record than Hickory — although they had also lost four of five games after winning 11 of their previous 13. Hickory was also scheduled to face the Nationals late Friday before the clubs do battle again tonight (Saturday, May 2) at 6:35 p.m. and Sunday at 1:35 p.m.

After completing their 12-game road trip — which began with six games against the Hill City (Va.) Howlers — the Crawdads return home for six games against the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans. The series opener is slated for Tuesday, May 5, at 7 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium.

Here’s a look at how Hickory did in games played between April 23-29 …

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

Hickory 6, Hill City 4

The Crawdads trailed 3-1 before scoring five runs in the top of the eighth inning — highlighted by a grand slam from Deward Tovar, who also singled in the second – en route to a two-run victory over the Howlers.

Jormy Nivar (2-0) was the winning pitcher for Hickory following five innings of scoreless, two-hit relief with three strikeouts and no walks, while Wily Villar (IP, R, H, BB, K) earned his first save. And in addition to Tovar’s two-hit performance, the Crawdads also got two hits apiece from Hector Osorio (double, single, run), and Josh Springer (double, single, run) to go with one each from Yolfran Castillo (single, RBI, run) and Esteban Mejia (single, run, SB).

FRIDAY, APRIL 24

Hill City 6, Hickory 4

The Howlers turned the tables on the Crawdads, rallying from a 4-0 deficit over the final five innings to win by the same score that they lost by the previous night.

Despite the loss, Hickory outhit Hill City 11-6 behind two hits each from Marcos Torres (solo home run, single, two RBIs, run), Paulino Santana (solo homer, single, RBI, run), Castillo (two singles, run), and Daniel Flames (two singles, SB) and one apiece from Luis Marquez (single, RBI), Osorio (single, run), and Mejia (single).

SATURDAY, APRIL 25

Hickory 4, Hill City 2

Two runs in the seventh and two runs in the eighth were enough for the Crawdads to bounce back against the Howlers.

All four of Hickory’s hits were singles, with Santana (RBI, run), Osorio (RBI), Castillo (run, SB), and Springer registering one apiece. Additionally, Moises Morales (3-0) was the winning pitcher after tossing five innings of scoreless, two-hit relief with six strikeouts and no walks.

SUNDAY, APRIL 26

Hill City 9, Hickory 8 (11 innings)

After blowing an 8-4 lead in the bottom of the ninth — they also led 8-1 earlier in the contest — the Crawdads were defeated by the Howlers in extra innings in the series finale as the teams ultimately split their six-game series.

Nonetheless, Hickory outhit Hill City 10-4, with Marquez (two-run homer, single, three RBIs, run), Tovar (triple, single, two RBIs, run), and Santana (two singles, run) each tallying two hits to go with one apiece from Torres (triple, RBI, three runs, two SB), Castillo (double, RBI, run, SB), Flames (double, RBI), and Osorio (double, run).

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Fredericksburg 13, Hickory 12

In a game that saw the clubs combine for 25 runs and 24 hits, the Crawdads fell behind 11-0 through three innings before nearly pulling off an improbable comeback.

Torres hit a pair of two-run homers for Hickory, while Tovar added a two-run blast of his own as well as a single, three RBIs, and two runs scored. The Crawdads’ other offensive standouts included Mejia (two singles, two runs), Flames (two singles, two runs), Marquez (double, two RBIs), Castillo (double, RBI, three runs), Springer (single), Wady Mendez (single), and Angel Arredondo (single).

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

Fredericksburg 1, Hickory 0 (10 innings)

The Crawdads were shut out for just the second time in 2026 when an RBI single from the Nationals’ Eli Willits scored Jordan Williams with one out in the bottom of the 10th.

Hickory’s hits came from Marquez (two singles, SB), Castillo (single), and Flames (single), while three Crawdads pitchers — Aidan Deakins (5 1/3 IP, 2 H, 4 BB, 4 K), Michael Trausch (2 2/3 IP, 2 BB, 3 K), and Geury Rodriguez (1 1/3 IP, R, H, 2 K) — limited the hosts to three hits.