Beras Gives 'Dads 6-5 Walk-Off Win
Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads christened the newly renovated Crawdads Stadium in dramatic fashion Thursday night, as the 'Dads rallied to force extra innings before Jairo Beras' 10th inning RBI single gave Hickory a 6-5 walk-off win over the Asheville Tourists.
In front of a home opening crowd of 3,249, the 'Dads rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the 8th when second baseman Travis Demeritte crushed a 3-run home run to left to tie the game at 5-5. Fast-forward to the bottom of the 10th, and the 18-year-old outfielder Beras came through with his only hit of the night in the form of a game winning single off the base of the center field wall for a 6-5 Hickory victory.
The Crawdads kicked off the scoring right off the bat in the bottom of the first, when center fielder Lewis Brinson smashed a solo homer to left to put the 'Dads on top 1-0. That score would hold all the way until the 5th, when Hickory starting pitcher Akeem Bostick ran out of gas.
Bostick entered the frame having held the Tourists without a run over the first four innings on just two hits. Asheville second baseman Michael Benjamin changed all that with one swing of the bat however, lofting a solo home run to left to tie the score at 1-1. Things would unravel from there for the Bostick and the 'Dads, with Asheville going on to score four total runs on four hits to take a 4-1 lead.
Demeritte edged the Crawdads closer in the 6th with an opposite field solo blast to right to cut the score to 4-2. The Tourists answered back with a long ball of their own in the 7th though, with center fielder David Dahl also hitting an opposite field solo blast to push the score to 5-2.
The 'Dads continued to battle however, and in the 8th both Nomar Mazara and Nick Vickerson singled to center to bring Demeritte to the plate with two on and nobody out. The Georgia native once again came through, with his second homer of the night deadlocking the score at 5-5 and setting the stage for Beras' extra inning heroics.
Demeritte finished the night 2-4 with two home runs, four RBI, two runs scored and a walk, while Brinson went 2-5 with a homer, an RBI and one run scored. Mazara also had a good game finishing 2-4 with a double, a walk and a run.
The Crawdads rally got Bostick off the hook for the loss, as the Hickory starter finished with four runs allowed on six hits, two walks, and three strikeouts over 4.2 innings pitched. 'Dads reliever Cody Kendall (1-0) earned the win with three shutout innings of relief, allowing two hits and two walks while fanning four. Asheville bullpen arm Logan Norris (0-1) was the losing pitcher after allowing the Hickory run in the 10th.
The Crawdads (5-3) and Tourists (4-4) will match up again Friday night at 7:00 for game two of their 4-game series.
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