Hickory Walks Off for Second Straight Game

Hickory, NC - A devastating string of losses for the Greenville Drive (3-8, 37-43) continued on Sunday, as the Hickory Crawdads (9-2, 50-30) won 4-3 and picked up their second consecutive walkoff victory.

Nine innings wasn't enough to decide Sunday's contest, and following a 1-2-3 top half of the tenth, the Crawdads saw all four of their batters in the bottom half reach base against Raynel Velette (4-1). Joe Jackson singled to begin the frame, and Velette loaded the bases with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Ronald Guzman then delivered a line drive single to center for the winning hit.

Cody Kendall (7-2) hurled a pair of scoreless relief innings for the Crawdads to pick up the win.

The Drive took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to hot-hitting Kendrick Perkins, who lined an RBI single to center to score Wendell Rijo, who singled with one out. An RBI groundout by Tzu-Wei Lin extended the lead to 2-0.

Greenville starter Jamie Callahan put together a quality start, allowing three runs in six innings, all on solo homers. He gave up five hits and one walk while striking out three.

Lewis Brinson did much of the damage against Callahan, lining a solo homer to left in the third and smacking a homer to right in the sixth. Two batters later, Jackson continued to play well against his hometown team, driving a homer to right to put Hickory up 3-2.

The Drive tied the game in the seventh when Perkins doubled with one out and later scored on a throwing error. He led the Greenville offense with a 2-4 night.

Brinson's two solo homers led the way for Hickory, while Jackson, Jairo Beras, Michael De Leon and Luis Marte all added two hits apiece.

The Drive will look to avoid a series sweep on Monday night at 7:05. RH Teddy Stankiewicz (6-5, 3.89) will start on the mound against Crawdads RH Anyelo Leclerc (1-1, 2.42).