'Claws Tie 'Dads for 1st Place with 8-7 Win
Published on July 20, 2012 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
HICKORY, NC - The Lakewood BlueClaws defeated the Hickory Crawdads, 8-7, before 2,274 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium on Friday night. The Lakewood victory puts the two teams in a tie for 1st place in the Northern Division Second Half Standings.
The BlueClaws (16-12, 42-55) jumped ahead with three runs in the top of the first inning. CF Aarron Altherr tripled with one out and scored on an RBI sacrifice fly by RF Kelly Dugan. After DH Chris Duffy walked, he then came home on an RBI triple by 3B Maikel Franco. LF Miguel Alvarez plated Franco with an RBI single to put Lakewood ahead, 3-0.
The 'Claws added a run in the top of the second inning. After doubling to lead off the inning, 2B Stephen Malcolm scored on an RBI sacrifice fly from Altherr to boost the Lakewood lead to 4-0.
Hickory (16-12, 52-44) responded with two runs in the bottom of the second. RF Chris Grayson led off the inning with a sharply hit single pulled off the right field wall. C Jorge Alfaro followed with an RBI double to left-center, driving in Grayson. Alfaro then came around to score on an RBI single by 1B Kevin Torres, cutting the Lakewood lead to 4-2.
The BlueClaws, though, stretched the lead with a run in the top of the third inning. After leading off with a single, Franco scored on an RBI double by C Gabriel Lino two outs later, putting the BlueClaws in front by three runs, 5-2.
The 'Dads raced back to tie the game with a big bottom of the third inning. 2B Rougned Odor led off with a single to right field and moved to second after Grayson drew a walk one out later. After a strikeout, DH Alejandro Selen blasted a pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run home run, squaring the score at 5-5.
The Crawdads moved ahead for the first time with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Odor started the inning by reaching base after he struck out on a pitch in the dirt. Lakewood C Gabriel Lino blocked the ball, but sailed an errant throw to right field when he tried to retire Odor, enabling Odor to get all the way to second on the play. One out later, Odor raced in from second base on an RBI single by Grayson. Later in the inning, Selen drove an RBI single to plate Grayson and put Hickory in front, 7-5.
After Lakewood worked the score back even with RBI singles by Dugan in the sixth and eighth innings, the BlueClaws moved in front in the top of the ninth against RHP Daniel Lopez (L, 0-2). LF Miguel Alvarez singled to lead off the inning, and then raced to third on a bunt base hit by 1B Brock Stassi that was compounded by a throwing error. Alvarez then darted home on a wild pitch, lifting Lakewood in front, 8-7.
RHP Kenny Giles (W, 3-3) finished his three-inning relief outing with a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth, closing the 8-7 win for the BlueClaws.
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