Crawdads come back in ninth, win 6-4
The Intimidators (12-8) struck for a run in the first and fourth innings to take an early 2-0 lead, facing RHP Carlos Pimentel (0-1, 3.92), who made his fourth start of the season and picked up the no-decision. RHP Fabio Castillo (0-0, 0.00) took over on the mound and dealt a scoreless fifth and sixth, keeping Kannapolis only ahead by two, while Intimidators starter RHP Dexter Carter kept the Crawdads off the board through his six innings of work.
The Crawdads (10-10) got on the board in the top of the seventh inning to cut the Kannapolis lead to 2-1. The inning started with a single from 1B Clark Murphy off Intimidators reliever RHP Leroy Hunt (0-1, 10.80). Murphy bounced the ball to third and, in an attempt to throw the Crawdads first baseman out, 3B John Gilmore overthrew first, enabling Murphy to move to second base on the play. After a strikeout dealt by Hunt, Ogata delivered his second double of the game to bring Murphy in and bring Hickory within one on the scoreboard.
However, Kannapolis came right back in the bottom of the seventh with a pair of runs off RHP Ryan Schelcht (0-0, 18.00), making his Hickory debut, to move back in front by multiple runs, 4-1. LHP Yoon-Hee Nam (2-1, 0.96), who would eventually pick up the win, and RHP Nate Jones (1-0, 1.54) exchanged scoreless halves of the eighth inning, keeping the 4-1 score intact, heading into the top of the ninth.
Hickory started the ninth inning with three straight singles to spark the come-from-behind rally. Murphy and 3B Matt West hit the first two singles, putting runners on at first and second with Ogata stepping up to the plate. Ogata came through for the Crawdads again, registering his third hit of the game with an RBI single to score Murphy from second and move West to second, making it 4-2. C Leonel De Los Santos advanced both runners ninety feet with a ground out to short for the inning's first out. With runners on second and third and one out, 2B Jake Kaase lofted a fly ball to left field, scoring West from third on the sacrifice fly. Down to their final out and trailing by just a run, the Crawdads sent their leadoff batter, CF David Paisano, to the plate with Ogata on at second. Paisano lined a pitch all the way to the wall in left field for an RBI double, bringing in Ogata and tying the game at 4-4. SS Edward Martinez then lined the first pitch of his at-bat to left field, plating Paisano and putting Hickory in the 5-4 lead. Martinez advanced to second on the throw home on the play, and then came in to score on LF Timmy Rodriguez's RBI double down the left field line, making it 6-4 and setting up the bottom of the ninth.
RHP Matt Nevarez (0-1, 2.84) took the mound to close the game for the Crawdads, dealing a three-up-three-down inning to register his second save on the year and finalize the Crawdads 6-4 comeback win, as the teams split the two-game series in Kannapolis.
Crawdads Clippings:
LF Jared Bolden left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning after colliding with the left field wall on an attempted catch. He is listed as day-to-day... The Crawdads registered their first ninth-inning comeback win of the season on Wednesday.
If you missed any or all of today's action, tune in to The Big Dawg 92.1 FM or Hickorycrawdads.com to catch the broadcast on tape delay, starting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.
The Crawdads kick off a four-game series against the Lakewood Blueclaws on Thursday at L.P. Frans Stadium. It will be $1 Beverage Night at the ballpark. Gates open at 6 p.m., first pitch is at 7 p.m.
Get Tickets:
Single game tickets for all Crawdads games are on sale now at the Crawdads Ticket Office and online at www.hickorycrawdads.com and start at just $6! Season tickets, mini-plans and group outings are available at the Crawdads office, located at 2500 Clement Blvd. NW or by calling 322-3000.