Crawdads slam Drive, 10-6
May 7, 2010 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
HICKORY, NC - The Hickory Crawdads slammed their way past the Greenville Drive, 10-6, before 2,020 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium on Friday. The Hickory win, powered by the bats of RF Ed Koncel and C Vinny DiFazio, keeps the 'Dads in the top spot in the Northern Division.
Greenville starter RHP Roman Mendez (0-2, 11.40 ERA) got roughed up early. In the bottom of the second, DiFazio led off with a single before both 3B Matt West and LF Cristian Santana were hit by pitches from Mendez. Santana was hit in the head and removed from the game, with utility man Joe Bonadonna pinch running for him and taking over in left. After DH Leonel De Los Santos struck out, Koncel blasted the Crawdads first grand slam of the season over the wall in left to give the 'Dads a 4-0 lead.
After adding another run in the third on a Bonadonna base hit, Hickory (18-11) found itself in another no-out, bases loaded opportunity in the fourth inning. After two consecutive singles by 2B Edwin Garcia and SS Leury Garcia, 1B Mike Ortiz reached on a fielding error by SS Derrick Gibson to load the bases. CF Miguel Velazquez drew a walk from reliever RHP Pedro Perez to bring in a run and DiFazio followed with a hard hit double to left center to clear the bases and stake the Crawdads a 9-0 lead.
After five scoreless innings posted by RHP Matt Thompson (3-0, 2.27) to start the game, Greenville (16-13) scored a run in the sixth to get on the board. Thompson stuck out a season-high nine batters through his 6.2 innings of work, and exited with Hickory ahead, 9-1, in the seventh.
Helped out considerably by two costly errors in the top of the eighth, the Drive plated five unearned runs against LHP Chad Bell on just two hits and one walk, before RHP Hector Nelo took over on the mound and got out of the inning.
DiFazio struck again in the eighth, leading off the frame with his fourth home run of the season to center to close out the scoring at 10-6. He finished with four hits, four RBIs and two runs scored on the evening.
Nelo then struck out the side in the top of the ninth to nail down the 10-6 win for Hickory and record his first save of the season. Thompson earned his third consecutive victory for the 'Dads, while Mendez was tagged with the loss for Greenville.
South Atlantic League Stories from May 7, 2010
- Crawdads slam Drive, 10-6 - Hickory Crawdads
- Legends drop series opener to Greensboro - Lexington Legends
- Shorebirds Drop Opener To Charleston, 6-4 - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Asheville Slips By Rome - Rome Emperors
- Drive Roughed Up Early by Crawdads in 10-6 Loss - Greenville Drive
- West Virginia wins over Kannapolis - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Two-Run Ninth Leads Dogs to 6-1 Win Over Delmarva - Charleston RiverDogs
- BlueClaws defeat Savannah - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Doyle Strikes out 14, but Intimidators Lose 2-0 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Shorebirds Game Notes - Delmarva Shorebirds
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