'Dads Down Drive with Power & Pitching
July 1, 2015 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads used a combination of shutdown pitching and powerful hitting to come away with a win Tuesday night, as the 'Dads offense belted a pair of big home runs to back a stingy performance by the Hickory hurlers in an 8-1 win over the Greenville Drive at L.P. Frans Stadium.
Six of the Crawdads 8 runs came in the 2nd inning, when the club sent all nine batters to the plate and used home runs by Jose Cardona and Josh Morgan to build a 6-1 lead. The 'Dads pitching trio of Austin Pettibone, Chris Dula, and Joe Filomeno, made the early offense hold up as they combined to hold Greenville to one run on three hits, including no runs and just one hit after the 1st.
Following a one hour and 15 minute rain delay to begin the game, the Drive jumped on Pettibone in the 1st inning when leadoff hitter Mike Meyers triple to right-center and scored on an ensuing wild pitch to quickly put Greenville ahead 1-0. Second place hitter Michael Chavis followed with a single to left before Pettibone settled in and retired the next three batters to end the frame.
The Crawdads offense came to their pitcher's aid in the home half of the 2nd, scoring 6 runs on five hits and a walk to take a 6-1 lead they would never let go of. The big inning started with back-to-back one out singles from Luke Tendler and Carlos Arroyo before Rock Shoulders brought in the inning's first tally on a 2-out, RBI single to right. One batter later, Cardona launched a 3-run homer to left to put Hickory ahead 4-1. Michael De Leon kept the rally going with a walk, while Morgan followed with a 2-run big fly to left to push the 'Dads advantage to 6-1.
The score would remain the same throughout the next five innings as Pettibone sat down 17 of his final 18 batters faced, including 9 straight to end his night after six innings pitched. He turned the ball over to Dula in the 7th, who worked himself into and out of trouble with a pair of walks and a hit batter to load the bases followed by three consecutive strikeouts to escape the frame.
The Crawdads capped off the scoring with two more runs in the 8th on a 2-out, RBI triple by Juremi Profar and an RBI base knock from Shoulders while Filomeno finished off the game with three total strikeouts over a scoreless 8th and 9th to give the 'Dads the 8-1 victory.
Both Cardona and Morgan finished 1-4 with their home runs, along with three and two RBI respectively. Shoulders ended the night 2-3 with 2 RBI while Arroyo went 3-4 with a run scored.
Pettibone (1-1) earned the win for Hickory after allowing just one run on two hits and three strikeouts over a season-high 6 innings pitched. Greenville starter Jeffry Fernandez (2-6) took the loss after giving up six runs on seven hits, two walks, and 2 Ks during his five frames on the mound.
The Crawdads (47-27/3-3) and Drive (41-35/3-3) will play again Wednesday night at 7:00 pm in game two of their 4-game series.
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