BlueClaws Swept Out of Hickory with 15-4 Loss
Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads (33-25) continued to pummel the pitching of the Lakewood BlueClaws (23-35) and hit four more home runs en route to the 15-4 win, Thursday night at L.P. Frans Stadium. The loss marked the third in a row, and eighth straight loss on the road for the Lakewood BlueClaws.
The Crawdads picked up right where they left off from the 12-4 win on Wednesday night. In the bottom of the first, Shane Watson gave up a leadoff single to Nick Vickerson and with one out.
Art Charles booted a ball at first to put two on with one out. Ryan Rua took advantage of the miscue and hit his 16th home run of the season, a three-run shot to center, and put the 'Dads up 3-0 early.
In the second, Watson walked the leadoff man Ronald Guzman and gave up an infield single to Lewis Brinson to put two on with no outs. The next hitter, and number nine man of the order, Luis Marte got a hanging curveball from the righty and deposited it over the wall in center and doubled the lead to 6-0 for Hickory.
Watson's outing came to an abrupt end when Nick Williams hit a two-run shot to right field that plated Vickerson, pushed the lead to 8-0, and sent the BlueClaws starter to the showers.
The BlueClaws were held scoreless until the third, when Justin Dalles got in on the home run party with a two run shot that made it 8-2. However, in the bottom of the fourth Rua answered with his second home run of the night, a two run shot off Luis Paulino, that made it 10-2.
Danny Carela took over on the mound in the fifth and was greeted by the bottom four in the order for Hickory. The newest BlueClaw walked the leadoff man, gave up a single and walked the third man of the inning to load the bases with no outs.
Marte made Carela pay with a two-run single, and the wheels continued to turn for the Crawdads offense. Hickory made it 15-2 with three runs against Steven Inch in the seventh, before catcher, Josh Ludy shut them down on the mound with a scoreless eighth.
Justin Dalles made it 15-4 with his second, two-run homer of the night in the eighth inning.
Watson (3-6) lasted just an inning and one-third and gave up eight runs, seven earned, on five hits, three of which were homers; he walked two and struck out four. Paulino gave up a pair over his two and two-thirds, Carela two runs over his two innings, and Inch three runs over his frame.
On the mound for the Crawdads, it was Andrew Faulkner that pitched the first seven frames and silenced the BlueClaws. Faulkner (1-0) allowed the two runs on six hits; he walked just one and struck out eight. Sam Stafford pitched the final two innings and gave up the second bomb to Dalles, but finished with just the two runs allowed, on three hits; he walked two and struck out three.
Deborah Heart and Lung Center Player of the Game: Ryan Rua (HIC): 3-4, 2HR, 6RBI, 3R
The Lakewood BlueClaws hit the road and will travel to Salisbury, Maryland to open up a three-game series against the Delmarva Shorebirds. RHP Miguel Nunez (5-2, 4.05) is slated to get the start in the opener for the BlueClaws and will face off against Delmarva's RHP Mark Blackmar (0-4, 5.55).