Crawdads Split Doubleheader with Greensboro

Hickory, NC- The Crawdads and Greensboro Grasshoppers split Friday evening’s doubleheader. The ‘Dads picked up a 6-4 win in the first game while the Grasshoppers took the second game by a score of 11-3.

The Crawdads hopped on the Greensboro pitching staff early, scoring three in the first. Jonathan Ornelas led off the home half of the inning with a single to center. Frainyer Chavez followed up with another single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Kellen Strahm walked to load the bases and Blaine Crim delivered a single to score Ornelas and advance Chavez to third. Kenen Irizarry hit a sacrifice fly to center bringing in a run. Strahm came in to score on a passed ball and put the ‘Dads ahead by three.

They added on another run in the second. Scott Kapers drew a walk and advanced on a single by Ornelas. Strahm reached on a fielding error by the third baseman that allowed Kapers to score from second.

Greensboro got a run on the board in the third to make the score 4-1.

The ‘Dads pushed back in the bottom of the inning with two more runs. Irizarry walked and Miguel Aparicio hit his third double of the season to put runners on the corners. Jake Guenther singled to send home Irizarry. Kapers brought Aparicio in from third with a pop fly to center.

The Grasshoppers scored two in the fifth and one in the seventh but the ‘Dads held them off to pick up a 6-4 victory. Starter Cody Bradford got the win, tossing 5.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned), striking out nine while walking three and giving up three hits. His evening was finished as the game went into a 26-minute delay for weather. Nick Snyder took the Crawdads the rest of the way, recording the final five outs, allowing one run.

The tables turned early in the second inning with the Grasshoppers taking an 8-0 lead through three innings.

The Crawdads got things going in the bottom of the fourth, plating three runs to make it an 8-3 game. Jose Acosta singled but was replaced on the bases as Chavez grounded into a force out. Strahm doubled down the left field line to bring in Chavez. Crim drove his fifth homer of the year to center to give the ‘Dads two more runs.

Greensboro struck back for three more runs in the sixth to bring the score to 11-3.

Tomorrow evening will be a 7pm first pitch as the Crawdads pay tribute to the Miracle of Hickory. The team will be wearing specialty Miracle of Hickory jerseys that will be auctioned off during the game and on the Live Source app.