'Dads Gain Ground on Suns with 5-1 Win
Published on August 22, 2014 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads began their pivotal three game series against the first place Hagerstown Suns with an impressive showing Friday night, as the 'Dads rode the stellar pitching of Yohander Mendez and Anyelo Leclerc to a 5-2 win at L.P. Frans Stadium.
The win moved the Crawdads four games back of the Suns in the South Atlantic League's Northern Division, with two games left in the series and nine total contests remaining in the 2014 season. Playing a major role in the victory was 'Dads starting pitcher Yohander Mendez, who held Hagerstown to one run on two hits over five innings pitched while making his first start for the Crawdads since going on the disabled list on April 27th.
The Suns scored their lone run off of Mendez and the 'Dads in the top of the 1st, with Hagerstown utilizing a walk, two singles, and a RBI sacrifice fly by Spencer Kieboom to jump out to a 1-0 lead. The Crawdads promptly responded in the bottom of the inning when leadoff batter Michael De Leon clubbed his first home run of the season over the left field wall, with the solo blast tying the game at 1-1.
Hickory took the lead in the 3rd, with the club using three hits and an error to score two runs for a 3-1 advantage. Luis Marte led off the frame with a double to left before De Leon laid down a bunt single to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Evan Van Hoosier followed with a tapper back to the mound, but Hagerstown starting pitcher Travis Ortiz slipped while fielding the grounder and threw wildly to first base for an error that allowed Marte to score. Two outs later, Joe Jackson plated De Leon on a RBI single up the middle for the second run of the inning.
The 'Dads tacked on another run to their lead the following frame on a RBI sacrifice fly by Van Hoosier to score Kevin Torres, before the club plated their final tally in the 7th on a RBI single to center by Zach Cone for the final 5-1 score.
De Leon finished the game 2-5 with his first home run, two runs scored, and a RBI. Van Hoosier ended the night with two RBI as part of a 1-3 game, while Marte went 1-4 with a double, a run scored, and a stolen base.
The offensive support made a winner out of Mendez (3-0) in his first Hickory outing in nearly four months. Ott (0-2) took the loss for Hagerstown with four runs allowed, two earned, on four hits, two walks, and four strikeouts over five innings pitched. Leclerc picked up his third save of the season with four scoreless innings of relief out of the bullpen.
The Crawdads (34-27) will try to pick up another vital game in the standings against the Suns (38-23) in game two of the three game series Saturday, with first pitched scheduled for 7:00 pm.
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