Crawdads win 5 of 7 games

The Hickory Crawdads have made Truist Park in Winston-Salem their home away from home last week after being forced to host a six-game series against the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs there due to a fire that caused extensive damage to the visiting team’s clubhouse at Hickory’s L.P. Frans Stadium on May 9.

The Crawdads (22-18) entered the fourth game of the series late Friday having won two of the first three against the RiverDogs to move into a tie with Charleston for second place in the Single-A Carolina League’s South Division. Thursday afternoon’s 5-2 victory over the RiverDogs was the fifth win in seven games for Hickory, which has seemingly righted the ship after a four-game losing streak from May 7-13.

Following Friday’s contest, the teams meet again tonight (Saturday, May 23) and Sunday at 6:30 p.m. before facing the Salem (Va.) RidgeYaks in the opener of a six-game road series on Tuesday, May 26, at 6:35 p.m.

Here’s more information from games that the Crawdads played between May 14-21, including four games against the Columbia (S.C.) Fireflies to end their last road trip …

THURSDAY, MAY 14

Hickory 7, Columbia 2

Four runs in the top of the seventh inning allowed the Crawdads to pull away for a five-run win as Angel Arredondo, Hector Osorio, and Yolfran Castillo all hit solo home runs in the frame.

Castillo also had a single, a stolen base, and an additional run scored, and Arredondo scored another run as well. In addition, Hickory got two singles, an RBI, and two runs scored from Deward Tovar, a single and an RBI from Wady Mendez, and one single each from Paulino Santana and Luis Marquez.

Starter Aidan Deakins (5 2/3 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 5 K) picked up the win to move to 3-0 on the year, while Louis Marinaro (2 1/3 IP, 5 H, 2 K), and Luimy Munoz (IP, K) combined for 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

FRIDAY, MAY 15

Hickory 8, Columbia 4

The Crawdads scored in each of the final four innings as they doubled up the Fireflies, with Tovar (solo homer, single, RBI, two runs), Marcos Torres (double, single, RBI, run), Cal Stark (double, single, run), Santana (two singles, run), Osorio (three-run homer, four RBIs, run), Arredondo (single, RBI), and Castillo (single, SB) registering Hickory’s hits.

Michael Trausch (2-1) earned the win thanks to 1 1/3 innings of scoreless, hitless relief during which he had two strikeouts and no walks, with Frank Martinez (3 IP, 3 R, 4 H, BB, 3 K) nabbing his first save and Kamdyn Perry (4 2/3 IP, R, 3 H, BB, 6 K) making the start.

SATURDAY, MAY 16

Columbia 8, Hickory 7 (10 innings)

The Fireflies outlasted the Crawdads in extra innings in a game that saw the clubs combine for 25 hits.

Castillo (double, two singles, RBI, run), Torres (double, single, two RBIs, two runs), Osorio (two singles, RBI, two runs), and Arredondo (solo homer, single, RBI, run) all notched multiple hits for Hickory, which also received one hit apiece from Tovar (single, RBI), Mejia (single, RBI), and Santana (single).

SUNDAY, MAY 17

Hickory 10, Columbia 0

The Crawdads blanked the Fireflies courtesy of four runs in the second and six in the fifth, with Santana (three RBIs) doubling for their only extra-base hit and Marquez tallying a single to go with three RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base.

Hickory also got a single, two RBIs, two stolen bases, and a run scored from Torres, while Mendez (single, RBI, two runs) and Stark (single, RBI, run) recorded the Crawdads’ remaining hits.

TUESDAY, MAY 19

Hickory 11, Charleston 5

Behind 15 total hits — four of which came from Josh Springer (two doubles, two singles, RBI, two runs) — the Crawdads collected a six-run victory over the RiverDogs.

Also registering hits for Hickory were Tovar (two-run homer, two singles, three RBIs, two runs), Osorio (two-run homer, double, two RBIs, two runs), Castillo (solo homer, single, RBI, run), Santana (single, two RBIs, run), Torres (single, RBI, run), Mendez (single, run), and Daniel Flames (single).

On the mound, Moises Morales (5-1) was the winning pitcher thanks to six innings of five-run, eight-hit ball with two strikeouts and one walk.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20

Charleston 5, Hickory 4

The RiverDogs slipped past the Crawdads despite being outhit 11-8, with two-hit performances for Hickory coming from Osorio (double, single, two RBIs), Stark (two doubles, RBI, run), Castillo (two singles, run, SB), and Springer (two singles, SB).

Hickory also received a single and an RBI from both Mendez and Arredondo, while Torres had a single as well.

THURSDAY, MAY 21

Hickory 5, Charleston 2

Deakins (6 IP, 2 R, 6 H, HBP, 4 K) was again victorious for Hickory on the mound as he improved to 4-0, while Wily Villar (3 IP, 2 BB, 4 K) earned his second save.

Marquez (two singles, RBI), Torres (double, single, run), Springer (single, two RBIs, run), Santana (solo homer, RBI, run), and Castillo (single, RBI, run, SB) were the Crawdads’ offensive standouts.