Crawdads snap 6-game losing streak, earn back-to-back road wins

Following a six-game losing streak that represented their longest stretch without a win since a 13-game skid in May 2023, the Hickory Crawdads entered Thursday’s late road game against the Augusta (Ga.) GreenJackets with victories in two of their previous three contests.

The final three losses of Hickory’s six-game skid came against Columbia (S.C.) from May 1-3, when the host Fireflies won by scores of 5-4, 7-5, and 10-0. However, the Crawdads salvaged the final game of the six-game Single-A Carolina League series by defeating Columbia, 1-0, last Sunday.

Hickory also earned a 3-1 victory over Augusta on Tuesday before falling to the GreenJackets by a 2-1 final on Wednesday. And after facing each other again on Thursday and Friday, the next game between the Crawdads and GreenJackets will start tonight (Saturday, May 10) at 6:05 p.m. before Sunday’s 1:35 p.m. series finale, after which Hickory will return home to L.P. Frans Stadium for a six-game series with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers that begins on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Here’s a look at how the Crawdads (13-16) fared over the past week …

THURSDAY, MAY 1

Columbia 5, Hickory 4

Despite leading 4-3 entering the bottom of the ninth inning, the Crawdads lost on a walk-off double from the Fireflies’ Angel Acosta that scored Roni Cabrera and Brennon McNair.

Each team finished with seven hits, with Hickory getting two singles, an RBI, and a run scored from Chandler Pollard to go with a triple, a single, and an RBI from Ben Hartl. Maxton Martin (triple) and Erick Alvarez (single) each added an RBI and a run scored, while the Crawdads’ remaining hit was a single from Yeremy Cabrera and Rafe Perich scored their other run.

FRIDAY, MAY 2

Columbia 7, Hickory 5

Trailing 6-1 through four innings, the Crawdads scored four runs in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to one before ultimately losing by a two-run final margin.

Beycker Barroso (run) and Martin each recorded two hits, with Barroso and Cabrera (RBI) tallying the only extra-base hits — both doubles — for Hickory. The Crawdads also received a hit and an RBI from Pollard and a hit and a run scored from Antonis Macias, while Perich scored two runs and Angel Arredondo crossed the plate once.

SATURDAY, MAY 3

Columbia 10, Hickory 0

In one of their most lopsided losses of the season — the only larger one being a 19-1 home defeat at the hands of the Salem (Va.) Red Sox on April 27 — the Crawdads were limited to three hits and committed a season-high five errors as eight of the Fireflies’ runs were unearned.

Macias finished with two singles to pace Hickory’s offense, while Marcos Torres had a base hit as well.

SUNDAY, MAY 4

Hickory 1, Columbia 0

A pitchers’ duel went the Crawdads’ way as they snapped their losing streak thanks to a ninth-inning single from Perich that knocked in Hartl with the game’s only run, with Hickory pitchers Ismael Agreda (5 IP, 7 K, BB, HBP), Brock Porter (2 IP, 3 K), and Dalton Pence (2 IP, 2 K) — the latter of whom earned the win — combining for a two-hitter.

In addition to Perich’s game-winning hit, the Crawdads also got a triple and a single from Torres, a double and a single from Martin, and singles from Hartl and Macias as part of a seven-hit day.

TUESDAY, MAY 6

Hickory 3, Augusta 1

The Crawdads scored single runs in the first, fourth, and sixth innings en route to a win over the GreenJackets, outhitting them 6-4 in a game that saw Pablo Guerrero (also had a single) and Martin blast solo home runs.

Other offensive standouts for Hickory included Pollard (two singles, RBI) and Macias (double, run), while Kamdyn Perry picked up his first win of the year following five innings of scoreless, hitless ball with six strikeouts, one walk, and a hit batsman. A trio of relievers were also used by the Crawdads, with Michael Trausch (1 2/3 IP, 2 H, 2 K) and William Privette (1 1/3 IP, R, H, K, HBP) earning holds and Luke Savage (1 IP, H, K, BB) notching his second save.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7

Augusta 2, Hickory 1 (10 innings)

The Crawdads had as many errors (four) as hits in an extra-inning loss to the GreenJackets that ended when Owen Carey scored on a single from Nick Montgomery in the bottom of the 10th.

Martin had a double for Hickory, while Hartl (RBI), Alvarez (run), and Pollard registered singles. Furthermore, five Crawdads pitchers combined for 10 strikeouts and 10 walks, although Augusta was also held to just four hits.