'Dads Leave Win in Scoring Position
April 10, 2013 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Hickory Crawdads News Release
Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads walked their way into plenty of scoring opportunities Wednesday afternoon, but when it came time to drive in the runs the bats went missing. Despite accumulating eight total walks the 'Dads went just 1-10 with men in scoring position resulting in their 7-5 loss to the Greenville Drive at LP Frans Stadium.
The lack of timely hits has been a reoccurring problem for Hickory early in the season, with the club batting just .157 with runners in scoring position. On Wednesday the Crawdads actually had three separate bases loaded opportunities, two with none out, but mustered only one hit and four runs total.
Ironically, the main offender and success in the loss was shortstop Luis Mendez. Mendez went to the plate in all three bases juiced situations and drove in three runs on the afternoon to lead the team. Look deeper however, and Mendez actually drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly and needed to beat out an infield single to plate the other two. In between those at-bats was a bases loaded, nobody out situation in which Mendez grounded into a double play.
For the day Mendez went 1-3 with 3 RBI and two errors while catcher Jorge Alfaro went 2-4 with a double, two runs scored and three runners thrown out on the basepaths.
On the mound, things started off well enough for ace pitcher CJ Edwards. The lanky right-hander held the Drive scoreless through the first four innings on just two hits. Things unraveled in the fifth though, as Edwards and reliever Coby Cowgill combined to give up four Greenville runs on five hits to cough up the Crawdads 2-0 lead.
Hickory picked up a run in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Nomar Mazara's first double and RBI of the year to cut the deficit to 4-3, but that would be the closest the 'Dads would get.
Greenville would pick up two unearned runs in the top of the eighth thanks to Mendez' two miscues and Hickory would answer with Mendez' 2-RBI infield single before the Drive finished the scoring with a solo home run by Mookie Betts in the 9th,
Edwards (0-1) picked up the loss for the Crawdads with three runs allowed on five hits over his 4.1 innings pitched. Drive reliever Jason Garcia (2-0) earned the win after giving up three runs on four hits with eight strikeouts over his 4.2 frames. Jeff Wendelken (1) earned the save after striking out the side in the 9th.
With the loss the Crawdads (2-5) drop two of three against the Drive (4-3) and have lost both of their opening series in 2013. The 'Dads will try to get things turned around on the road, as they open up a four-game series in Kannapolis starting Thursday night at 7:00 pm.
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On the Road: The Crawdads will now hit the road for seven games before returning to LP Frans Stadium on Thursday, April 18th. The 'Dads will play in Kannapolis for four games before going to Asheville for a three-game set.
Get Tickets:
Individual Tickets for all Crawdads home games are available right now at Hickorycrawdads.com ==] or by calling (828) 322-3000! Group outings, corporate partnerships, Buffalo Wild Wings Claw Club memberships and Ticket Books are also available right now by calling the Front Office at (828) 322-3000.
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