Crawdads on 3-game win streak as second half resumes

After a strong start to the second half of the Single-A Carolina League season, the Hickory Crawdads lost five of their first eight games in July.

Hickory bounced back with three consecutive victories last weekend, though, ultimately entering a stretch of four straight off days (July 13-16) that coincided with Major League Baseball’s All-Star break at 49-36 overall and 15-6 in the second half.

The Crawdads’ second-half record is two games better than that of the Augusta (Ga.) GreenJackets, who are also members of the South Division, for the top spot in the entire 12-team Carolina League. And only one club — the Fredericksburg (Va.) Nationals, who are 57-30 — boasts a higher overall winning percentage than Hickory in 2026.

Play was scheduled to resume late Friday when the Crawdads hosted the North Division-leading Wilson Warbirds in the opener of a three-game series that continues tonight (Saturday, July 18) at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at L.P. Frans Stadium.

Hickory is also at home all next week for six games against the Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Pelicans, with the series opener slated for a 7 p.m. first pitch on July 21.

Here’s more information from the games that the Crawdads played between July 9-12 …

THURSDAY, JULY 9

Augusta 7, Hickory 5

The GreenJackets rallied from a 5-1 deficit to defeat the visiting Crawdads for the third night in a row, although Hickory did get two hits from Deward Tovar (double, single, RBI) and one apiece from Pablo Guerrero (single, RBI, run), Paulino Santana (single, run), and Angel Arredondo (single).

Augusta’s comeback saw the hosts score four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning before surging ahead courtesy of a two spot in the seventh.

FRIDAY, JULY 10

Hickory 8, Augusta 7

The Crawdads outhit the GreenJackets 9-8 and benefited from three defensive errors by Augusta as they collected their second one-run win of the month.

Yolfran Castillo tripled, doubled, singled, and scored three runs, while Guerrero recorded a double, a single, and an RBI to go with a single, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base from Santana as well as a double, three RBIs, and a run scored from Angel Arredondo, a double and an RBI from Daniel Flames, and a single and a run scored from Marco Argudin.

Starter Daniel Keaney (2-1) earned the win for the Crawdads thanks to five innings of five-run, seven-hit ball with three strikeouts, one walk, and two hit batsmen, while Geury Rodriguez (2/3 IP, H, BB, K) notched his third save.

SATURDAY, JULY 11

Hickory 13, Augusta 4

More defensive miscues aided the Crawdads as the GreenJackets committed five errors, with Hickory again outhitting the hosts by a 9-8 margin.

Arredondo (two singles, four RBIs, run), Flames (two singles, RBI, two runs), Sebastian Baquera (two-run home run, three RBIs, two runs), Castillo (single, RBI, two runs, SB), Santana (double, RBI, run), Tovar (single, two runs), and Marcos Torres (single, run) led the Crawdads’ offensive onslaught, while starter Aidan Deakins (6-0) was the winning pitcher following five innings of scoreless, two-hit ball during which he struck out four and issued three walks.

SUNDAY, JULY 12

Hickory 7, Augusta 0

The Crawdads shut out an opponent for the first time since a 6-0 home victory over the Columbia (S.C.) Fireflies on June 20, totaling nine hits for the third straight game as they nabbed a series split with the GreenJackets.

Torres (solo homer, double, two runs) and Arredondo (double, single, run) each registered two hits to go with one apiece from Tovar (two-run homer), Castillo (solo homer, two runs, SB), Argudin (double, RBI), Juan Sulbaran (single, RBI), and Flames (single). Additionally, starter Evan Siary (3-2) tossed six innings of three-hit ball with 10 strikeouts and no walks en route to earning the win.

Hickory also received scoreless innings of relief from Alejandro Chiquillo (K), Michael Trausch (BB, HBP, K), and Luimy Munoz (2 BB, 2 K).