Suns shutout Crawdads, strikeout 18

HAGERSTOWN, M.D. - The Hagerstown Suns (13-11) used impressive pitching performances from starting RHP Ivan Pineyro (1-2) and RHP David Fischer to silence the bats of the Hickory Crawdads (14-10) and earn a 3-0 win on Sunday afternoon. The win moved the Suns within one game of the Crawdads for first place in the South Atlantic League Northern Division Standings.

 

The Suns took the lead in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by 1B Shawn Pleffner. It was Pleffner's fifth double of the season and eighth RBI, and came with two outs in the inning. Pleffner finished the afternoon with two hits in four at-bats.

 

Hagerstown extended its lead in the sixth. With one out CF Will Piwnica-Worms singled on a ground ball to left. Two batters later with Piwnica-Worms still at first and two outs, catcher Pedro Severino hit a bloop single to right-center field. Piwnica-Worms took off with contact since there were two outs, and he wound up scoring on the hit to make it 2-0 Suns. A wild pitch and passed ball then allowed Severino to move from first to third, and he scored when 2B Tony Renda reached on a fielding error by 3B Joey Gallo.

 

Pineyro made sure three runs was all the Suns would need, as he struck out 12 Crawdads hitters in six innings of work to get the win. Fischer struck out six more in three innings pitched to record his second save of the season. RHP Ryan Bores (0-1) suffered the loss for Hickory. He went four innings, giving up one earned run on four hits while walking one and striking out two.

 

The Suns and Crawdads wrap-up their four game series at Municipal Stadium on Monday April 29. Hagerstown will send RHP Brian Rauh (1-1) to the mound for his fifth start of the season. He will square off against RHP Tyler Smith (3-0) for the Crawdads. First pitch is scheduled for 10:35am.