Crawdads outshine Suns with 13-5 win
July 4, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
HICKORY, N.C. - The Hickory Crawdads gave fans a preview of the post-game 4th of July Fireworks Extravaganza, scoring at least one run in eight of the nine innings on Saturday night, as they cruised to the 13-5 win against the Hagerstown Suns before a standing-room-only crowd of 5,454 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium. The Crawdads extended their winning streak to a season-high four games, while also extending the Suns losing streak to seven straight.
The Crawdads (6-3, 38-39) took an early lead in the bottom of the first inning and never looked back. CF David Paisano doubled to lead off the frame and scored later in the inning on a two-out RBI single by RF Mike Bianucci. Hickory quadrupled its lead with three more runs against LHP Patrick McCoy (2-3) in the second inning. LF Cristian Santana and 1B Jared Bolden hit back-to-back singles to start the inning and then trotted around on C Leonel De Los Santos's three-run home run over the left field wall, making it 4-0. De Los Santos struck again with an RBI single in the very next frame, putting Hickory ahead by five runs after three.
RHP Jake Brigham retired the first six batters he faced with a four strikeouts and a pair of air-outs, but had to leave the game early in the top of the third due to injury. He is listed as day-to-day. RHP Mark Hamburger (2-6) came on in relief and got of the third in scoreless fashion. Hagerstown (1-9, 32-45) got on the board with a pair of runs against Hamburger in the fourth inning, when C Derek Norris hit a two-run homer to left field.
The Crawdads, though, came right back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth to move ahead, 8-2. Paisano doubled and 3B Erik Morrison drew a walk to get on, before Bianucci crushed a pitch over the left-center field wall for his 14th homer of the season. Facing RHP Chris Lugo in the fifth, the Crawdads kept pouring it on with two more runs. Santana and Bolden again started the inning with consecutive singles and both advanced on an errant pick-off attempt by Lugo. De Los Santos then picked up his fifth RBI of the game on a ground ball to third base that brought in Santana and led to a throwing error on 3B James Keithly. Keithly fired wide of first, enabling De Los Santos to reach as well as Bolden to score from second on the play, stretching the Crawdads lead to 10-2. Hickory then loaded the bases with one out in the sixth inning and made it 11-2 with Morrison scoring on a sacrifice fly hit by Santana.
After four innings of middle relief, Hamburger was replaced on the mound by RHP Fabio Castillo to start the seventh. The Suns struck for three runs in the frame (only two of which were earned) in an attempt to try to climb back into the game, making it 11-5.
After being held scoreless in the seventh, the only inning in which the Crawdads did not score a run, Hickory pushed the lead back to eight runs with a two-run home run by Santana in the bottom of the eighth. Castillo, who had tossed a three-up-three-down top of the eighth, navigated through the ninth in scoreless fashion as well, closing the 13-5 win for the Crawdads. Hamburger registered the win and Castillo picked up the save for the Crawdads, while McCoy was tagged with the loss for Hagerstown.
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South Atlantic League Stories from July 4, 2009
- Legends stop Braves in rain-shortened game, 9-4 - Lexington Legends
- Hoppers fall to Lake County - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Crawdads outshine Suns with 13-5 win - Hickory Crawdads
- Carter pitches Kannapolis to Independence Day win - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Fireworks Highlight Forgetful Night - Asheville Tourists
- RiverDogs Wallop Tourists, 14-4 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Hot Rods postponed on 4th of July - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Fireworks Aplenty in 9-2 Augusta Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- Drive Doubled-Up by Sand Gnats, 4-2 - Greenville Drive
- BlueClaws and Power Postponned - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Power vs. BlueClaws game postponed - Charleston Dirty Birds
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