Crawdads take series against Captains with 7-6 win
Published on July 11, 2009 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
HICKORY, N.C. - The Hickory Crawdads completed the series victory with a 7-6 win against the Lake County Captains, before 1,986 fans at L.P. Frans Stadium on Saturday night. The Crawdads, powered tonight by a grand slam by RF Miguel Alfonzo, have now won two of their last three series to start the second half of the season.
The Captains (9-8) claimed an early lead with two runs in the top of the second inning against RHP Neil Ramirez (1-2). LF Bo Greenwell extended the inning with a two-out double, then trotted home on a two-run home run hit by SS Mark Thompson.
The Crawdads (10-6) came right back with a long ball of their own in the bottom of the second against LHP T.J. House (2-8). C Doug Hogan, LF Jared Bolden and C Leonel De Los Santos strung together three straight singles to load the bases with only one out for Alfonzo. Alfonzo attacked the first pitch of his at-bat and belted it over the left-center field wall for the grand slam, propelling Hickory into the 4-2 lead.
Lake County pulled within a run in the top of the third. 2B Karexon Sanchez drew a one-out walk and stole his way from first to third, before coming in on a wild pitch to cut the Crawdads lead to 4-3. Hickory promptly stretched the lead back to multiple runs in the bottom of the inning, when 1B Erik Morrison led off the frame with a solo home run just inside the left field foul pole, making it 5-3.
The Captains again pulled within one in the top of the fifth inning, when an RBI double by Sanchez brought in 3B Matt Willard. Ramirez navigated through the rest of the inning with no further damage done, before being replaced by RHP Carlos Pimentel in the sixth inning.
The Crawdads bats extended the lead back to multiple runs in the bottom of the sixth inning with a pair of tallies against LHP Anillins Martinez. Martinez started his first inning of work by hitting De Los Santos with a pitch. Alfonzo then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move De Los Santos to second. SS Leury Garcia then bunted a ball to the right side of the infield for a single. Sanchez fielded the bunt and tried to throw De Los Santos out at third base, but fired wide of the bag, enabling De Los Santos to score on the throwing error, which also advanced Garcia to second base. Garcia then stole his way to third, before coming in on a wild pitch by Martinez, putting the Crawdads ahead, 7-4.
Lake County refused to go quietly, striking for a run against Pimentel in the eighth inning and one against RHP Matt Nevarez in the ninth, both on sacrifice flies. However, Nevarez was able to close the door on the Captains, inducing a game-ending ground out off the bat of Sanchez to seal the 7-6 win for the Crawdads. Ramirez earned the win for the Crawdads and Nevarez registered the save, while House was tagged with the loss for Lake County.
South Atlantic League Stories from July 11, 2009
- Grasshoppers sneak past Suns - Hagerstown Suns
- Ontiveros Drives In Game Winner, Hoppers Down Suns in Finale - Greensboro Grasshoppers
- Field, Aristil Achieve Firsts in Victory - Asheville Tourists
- Bowling Green Nips Charleston, 3-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Shortstop's 5th inning single earns come-from-behind win - Bowling Green Hot Rods
- Savannah's Carson shuts out Legends - Lexington Legends
- Crawdads take series against Captains with 7-6 win - Hickory Crawdads
- Drive Take Care of Braves, 4-1, in Series Finale at Fluor Field - Greenville Drive
- Intimidators Earn Split 9-4 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Early runs power Kannapolis to 9-4 win over Lakewood - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Power and Shorebirds Rained Out - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Bass goes deep twice, but Hoppers still fall to Suns - Greensboro Grasshoppers
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