Walks the Difference in 'Dads 6-3 Loss
Lakewood, NJ - The Hickory Crawdads outhit the host Lakewood BlueClaws Wednesday night 7-6 but it was the other base runners for the 'Claws that proved to be the difference, as the 'Dads pitching staff issued seven walks en route to a 6-3 loss at FirstEnergy Park.
Starting pitcher Cody Buckel and reliever Chris Dula both experienced control issues, with Buckel handing out four walks over his 5 innings pitched while Dula issued three free passes while pitching in the 6th. Three of the walks directly resulted in runs, while five of the seven occurred in a run-scoring frame for the BlueClaws.
The Hickory offense meanwhile produced seven hits including six over the first five innings, but the Crawdads also stranded seven on the base paths over the first five frames.
Lakewood jumped on the board first in the 2nd inning, when the newly named South Atlantic League Player of the Month Herlis Rodriguez doubled to right, took third on an error by 'Dads right fielder Jairo Beras, and scored an unearned run on an RBI sacrifice fly from Cord Sandberg for a 1-0 score. Hickory countered with a tally in the top of the 3rd, as Carlos Arroyo singled to right to lead off the inning before coming home on a 2-out, RBI base knock to left from Jonathan Meyer to tie the game at 1-1.
The 'Claws re-took the lead the next inning, this time with Damek Tomscha drawing a leadoff walk from Buckel before scoring on a 2-out, RBI single by Deivi Grullon for a 1-0 Lakewood lead. The BlueClaws pulled away in the 6th, with the club plating four runs on three walks, a hit batsman, and a double off of Dula to push the score to 6-1.
The Crawdads cut down their deficit in the 8th when All-Star Luke Tendler lined his 7th home run of the year for a 2-run blast to make the score 6-3, but that would be as close as the team would get as 'Claws closer Joey DeNato tossed a scoreless 9th to end the game.
Lakewood starter Ranfi Casimiro (4-5) earned the win with one run allowed on six hits, three walks, and one strikeout over his six innings pitched. Buckel (0-3) took the loss for the 'Dads after allowing two runs, one earned, on four hits, four walks, and 6 Ks during his 5 innings. DeNato (4) picked up the save for closing out the game.
Tendler finished the night 1-4 with a home run and 2 RBI, while Meyer went 1-3 with an RBI. Josh Morgan was the only Hickory batter to reach base safely multiple times by going 1-2 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and a run scored.
The Crawdads (51-31/7-7) and BlueClaws (40-42/7-7) will match up again Thursday night for game two of the 5-game series, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 pm.
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