Forbes homers again in Crawdads' win

When Ti'Quan Forbes stepped in for his first at-bat Saturday, he didn't expect to make some personal history.
But after circling the bases in the second inning, the 20-year-old Rangers prospect did something he'd never accomplished at any level.

Forbes homered in his third straight game to highlight a 3-for-3 night and drove in three runs to lead Class A Hickory to an 8-4 win over Greensboro at First National Bank Field.
Box score
"After I hit it, I was thinking, 'Dang, that was crazy, I've never done that,'" he said. "But it was a really good feeling that I've never experienced."
The third baseman wasn't looking for a particular pitch, just one he could drive into the gap. Instead, he drilled an offering from Dustin Beggs over the left-center field wall. Forbes needs one home run to match the total he posted in 120 games with the Crawdads in 2016. 
"I was just trying to stay within myself and get a ball that I could hit hard somewhere," Forbes said. "I didn't even think the ball was going to go over the fence, but it did and that was not what I expected. It was pretty cool."
That approach continued in the fifth when the Mississippi native stroked an opposite-field single that scored 15^th-ranked Rangers prospect Yanio Perez to extend the Crawdads' lead to 5-1.
Forbes came to bat with the bases loaded in the eighth against reliever Ryley MacEachern, and the 2014 second-round pick ripped another RBI single to right field.
"I wasn't looking to hit a grand slam in that spot," he said. "What I was really trying to do was drive in a run, if possible, and help my team win. And I think that's what happened and I'm happy we were able to get the win tonight."
After batting .252 with a .335 slugging percentage and 120 strikeouts in his first full campaign in Class A last year, Forbes is hitting .545 with a 1.364 slugging percentage and only two strikeouts in three games this season. 

"I had to find my swing. I was young and that's definitely why I struggled a little bit last year," he said. "Now I'm putting in work and keeping my focus each game, and so far that's been working, so I just want to do more of that."
Top Rangers prospect Leody Taveras, ranked 53rd overall by MLB.com, singled twice and scored three runs. Preston Scott hit two solo homers and Perez finished with four hits for Hickory. 
Emerson Martinez went five innings for the win, allowing one run on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts.
Jarett Rindfleisch hit a three-run homer in the eighth for Greensboro.