'Dads top Intimidators, 4-1, with 3,001 fans at L.P. Frans
April 17, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
HICKORY, N.C. - RHP Neil Ramirez retired 18 of 21 batters faced through six shutout innings, leading the Hickory Crawdads to the 4-1 win against the Kannapolis Intimidators before of 3,001 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium Saturday night.
The Crawdads (5-5) cracked the scoreless tie early on in the second inning, and never looked back. With two outs in the frame, 3B Matt West kept the inning alive with an infield single. 1B Ed Koncel then came up and battled his way through an 11-pitch at-bat, before crushing a two-run homer over the left field wall to give Hickory the 2-0 lead against Kannapolis LHP Matt Wickswat (0-2).
Ramirez continued to blank the Intimidators offense, and the Crawdads doubled their lead in the bottom of the sixth to go up, 4-0. SS Leury Garcia started the inning with a walk and quickly stole his way to second base. After taking third on a ground out, he came home on an RBI double by DH Miguel Velazquez. Velazquez then stole third base, before scoring on a C Vinny DiFazio RBI sacrifice fly to right field, putting the Crawdads up by four.
Crawdads RHP Andrew Doyle followed with a scoreless seventh, but Kannapolis (3-7) finally got on the board with a run against him in the eighth. However, Doyle promptly got out of the inning with Hickory ahead by three, and then RHP Josh Lueke closed the door with a shutout ninth, sealing the 4-1 win for the Crawdads.
Ramirez registered his first win of the season and Lueke picked up his third save already, while Wickswat was charged with the loss for the Intimidators.
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