Crawdads eye playoff berth despite recent struggles

The Hickory Crawdads have stumbled a bit recently, but their struggles haven’t cost them the top spot in the Single-A Carolina League’s second-half standings.

Despite winning just two of the six games they played between Aug. 13-19, the Crawdads (67-46, 33-16 in second half) entered Thursday’s late home game against the Delmarva (Md.) Shorebirds with a 4 1/2-game lead over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers for the best second-half record in the entire 12-team league. Additionally, Hickory sat 5 1/2 games ahead of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers for first place in the six-team South Division.

The Crawdads also hosted the Shorebirds on Friday before the clubs battle again tonight (Saturday, Aug. 22) at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium. Then Hickory travels to Wilson to face the Warbirds seven times in six days beginning on Aug. 25, with the opening day of the series consisting of the completion of a suspended game at 4 p.m. — the Crawdads will be the designated home team in that game, which began in Hickory on July 19 — and the regularly scheduled contest at 7:05 p.m.

Here’s a look at how the Crawdads fared from Aug. 13-19 …

THURSDAY, AUG. 13

Hickory 5, Kannapolis 3

Jay McQueen (three singles, RBI, run, SB) finished with three hits to lead the visiting Crawdads, while Sebastian Baquera (run) and Yolfran Castillo (SB) each had two singles to go with one hit apiece from Marco Argudin (two-run home run), Kaden Carpenter (solo homer), Pablo Guerrero (double, run, team-high two walks), Curley Martha (single, run), and Noah Franklin (single).

Evan Siary (5-3) was the winning pitcher thanks to 5 2/3 innings of two-run, five-hit ball during which he had six strikeouts and two walks, while Frank Martinez (1/3 IP, H), Julius Sanchez (1 1/3 IP, ER, H, 2 BB, HBP, 2 K), and Michael Trausch (1 2/3 IP, BB, K) — the latter of whom earned his third save of the year — were the relievers used by Hickory.

FRIDAY, AUG. 14

Kannapolis 4, Hickory 3

The Cannon Ballers scored single runs in four of the first five innings en route to a one-run victory over the Crawdads.

Nonetheless, Hickory outhit Kannapolis 9-7 behind two singles apiece from McQueen (two runs) and Castillo (SB) and one hit each from Deward Tovar (two-run homer), Josh Springer (double, RBI), Argudin (single), Carpenter (single), and Paulino Santana (single).

SATURDAY, AUG. 15

Kannapolis 5, Hickory 2

The Cannon Ballers topped the Crawdads again, scoring all of their runs in the fifth and sixth innings as both teams totaled seven hits.

Carpenter (double, single, two RBIs, SB) recorded two hits, while Franklin (double, run), Castillo (single, SB), McQueen (single), Santana (single), and Guerrero (single) each finished with one hit.

SUNDAY, AUG. 16

Kannapolis 6, Hickory 5 (13 innings)

Neither squad scored until the 11th inning, with the Cannon Ballers ultimately outlasting the Crawdads in a contest that lasted 3 hours, 41 minutes.

Despite the loss, Hickory registered 10 hits as a team, led by two apiece from Guerrero (double, single, two RBIs), Tovar (double, single, RBI, run), and Carpenter (double, single, two runs). Others recording hits for the Crawdads included Martha (single, RBI), Kolby Branch (double, run), Santana (single, run), and Argudin (single).

TUESDAY, AUG. 18

Hickory 12, Delmarva 5

The Crawdads rallied from a 5-0 deficit to defeat the Shorebirds, pounding out 16 hits along the way.

Guerrero (three-run homer, double, two singles, three RBIs, three runs) and Branch (double, three singles, run) each notched four hits, while Baquera (double, single, two RBIs) and Castillo (two singles, two runs, SB) had two hits apiece to go with one hit each from Carpenter (three-run homer, two runs), Tovar (double, RBI, two runs), Santana (single, RBI, run), and Daniel Flames (single, RBI). In addition, Geury Rodriguez (5-3) earned the win following three innings of scoreless, two-hit relief with two strikeouts and no walks.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 19

Delmarva 9, Hickory 5

Four runs in the top of the ninth lifted the Shorebirds past the Crawdads, who had grabbed a one-run lead in the bottom of the seventh but were unable to hold on as they lost for the fourth time in five games.

McQueen (two singles, two runs) and Branch (double, single) each had two hits, while other hits came from Martha (single, two RBIs), Castillo (single, two RBIs), Tovar (single, RBI), Santana (double, run), and Guerrero (single).