Crawdads Clip the Pelicans 4-2

Hickory, NC- The Crawdads used a solid start from Aidan Deakins and a sixth-inning power surge to defeat the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 4-2 on Wednesday night at LP Frans Stadium.

Deakins, who entered the game with a sub-1.00 ERA, took command in his usual fashion, holding the Pelicans to a single run through five innings of work. The lone blemish for Deakins came in the fourth, when Geuri Lubo doubled home Michael Carico to give Myrtle Beach a 1-0 lead.

The Crawdads’ offense came to life in the fifth. Angel Arredondo laced a triple into the left-field corner to plate Luis Marquez and level the score at 1-1. Jhocsuanth Vargas then lifted a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Arredondo to put Hickory (17-12) ahead for good at 2-1.

Hickory ignited the crowd again in the sixth inning as Hector Osorio and Daniel Flames launched back-to-back solo home runs to right field, providing much-needed breathing room late in the contest. Osorio’s blast capped a three-hit night, propelling his average 19 points to a respectable .272. Flames followed his home run with a scintillating defensive play to end the eighth inning, snagging a ball smashed by Pelicans outfielder Alexey Lumpuy.

Owen Proksch and Louis Marinaro closed the door on the Pelicans, allowing only one run over the final four frames to preserve the victory. The save was Marinaro’s fourth of the season, tying him with JD McReynolds for the team lead.

Deakins' effort improved his record to 2-0, while Edwardo Melendez suffered the loss for Myrtle Beach, falling to 1-1. The Crawdads return to action early tomorrow for an 11am matinee, featuring a pitching matchup between Kamdyn Perry and Mason McGwire in game three of the series.