SAL1 Hickory Crawdads

4,444 fans pack L.P. Frans, Delmarva tops 'Dads 12-10

July 23, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release


HICKORY, NC - A standing-room-only crowd of 4,444 fans packed L.P. Frans Stadium, as the Hickory Crawdads, 1st-Half Northern Division Champions, fell in a back-and-forth battle, 12-10, against the Delmarva Shorebirds on Saturday evening.

The Crawdads (58-39, 18-11) jumped in front with four runs in the bottom of the first against LHP Tim Berry. CF Jake Skole worked a one-out walk and raced all the way in on an RBI double by 1B Andrew Clark. C Tomas Telis joined Clark on the bases with a single, and DH Josh Richmond drove everyone in with a three-run homer to make it 4-0.

After Delmarva (46-53, 11-18) responded with six runs in the top of the second against RHP Matt Thompson, the Crawdads tied it right away in the bottom of the inning. Three walks loaded the bases with only one out for Hickory, before Clark drove in another RBI with a sacrifice fly. Telis followed with an RBI base hit that tied it at 6-6.

The Shorebirds moved back in front, 7-6, with an RBI single by LF Jeremy Nowak in the top of the third, plating the only run against RHP Ben Henry in his 4.2 innings of relief. The Crawdads again answered, as 3B Christian Villanueva launched a two-run bomb in the bottom of the fourth, leap-frogging Hickory into the 8-7 lead.

Henry kept the lead intact through the sixth, but the Shorebirds caught up and took the lead with three unearned runs in the top of the seventh against RHP Jorge Marban (L, 1-4). DH Riley Hornback started the inning with a walk. RF Mikey Planeta bounced a ball back to the mound that Marban fielded but misfired past second base, enabling Hornback to get to third and Planeta to reach first on the play. 2B Mike Mooney then laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate Hornback from third, and ended up reaching on a fielder's choice, tying the game and putting runners at first and second. After a walk loaded the bases, a 1B Ty Kelly grounder got by Villanueva at third to bring in two unearned runs and give Delmarva the 10-8 lead.

Hickory again refused to go away, pulling even once more in the bottom of the seventh. 2B Odubel Herrera reached on an error to begin the inning. RF Jhonny Gomez advanced Herrera to second on a single, and both advanced ninety feet closer on a sacrifice bunt from LF Braxton Lane. SS Jurickson Profar came through with a game-tying, two-run single just inside the right field line, bringing in Herrera and Gomez to square the score at 10-10.

However, the Shorebirds dealt the final blow in the top of the ninth. A single from 2B Mike Mooney started the inning, before he darted to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kelly put Delmarva in the lead with an RBI single to bring in Mooney and make it 11-10. Kelly made it to second on the throw home after his base hit and moved to third on a wild pitch. After a walk and a stolen base by Nowak, C Michael Ohlman knocked an RBI single to stretch the lead to 12-10.

After three innings of relief work from RHP Randy Henry (W, 3-0), RHP David Walters closed the 12-10 win for Delmarva with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth inning.

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South Atlantic League Stories from July 23, 2011


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