Crawdads Fall Short in Greensboro, 5-3
June 5, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
HICKORY, N.C. - After giving up five runs in the first inning, the Hickory Crawdads battled but fell just short, 5-3, against the Greensboro Grasshoppers before 6,183 fans at NewBridge Bank Park in Greensboro on Friday night. RF Mike Bianucci provided the Crawdads with their 20,000th all-time hit, a single in the seventh inning.
The Crawdads (26-26) opened the game's scoring right off the bat, plating a run in the top of the first against starter RHP Graham Johnson. CF Cody Podraza led off the game by reaching on an error, and quickly advanced to second on a bunt single put down by 2B Jake Kaase. 1B Erik Morrison then drove in Podraza from second with an RBI single to left field, putting Hickory in the early lead, 1-0.
However, Greensboro (27-26) responded with five runs of their own in the bottom of the first against RHP Wilmer Font, to move ahead, 5-1. The big blows in the inning were a two-run single hit by 1B Ben Lasater and a two-run double by RF Justin Bass. RHP Fabio Castillo took over on the mound with two out and Bass on at second, and promptly got the Crawdads out of the inning with no further damage done.
Hickory started to chip away with a run in the top of the third inning. With one away, Morrison reached on an error, before moving to second on a base hit by Bianucci. 3B Matt West then belted the ball off the left field wall for an RBI double, scoring Morrison from second base to pull the Crawdads within three, 5-2.
The combination of Castillo (4.1 IP) and RHP Cody Eppley (3 IP) kept the Grasshoppers at five runs on the board the rest of the way. The two relievers combined to only allow three hits and four walks the rest of the way, while striking out nine. Eppley posted a season-high six strikeouts through his outing.
The Crawdads had one last gasp, when Bianucci crushed his ninth homer of the year over the left field wall to begin the ninth inning. However, Greensboro RHP Pete Andrelczyk navigated through the rest of the inning in scoreless fashion to earn his 10th save of the year in the 5-3 win for the Grasshoppers. Font was tagged with his first loss of the season, while Johnson earned the win for Greensboro.
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