Dash Slip and Fall Late to Hickory 8-7

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (July 8, 2021) — The Winston-Salem Dash took their fourth consecutive loss on Thursday, falling to the Hickory Crawdads 8-7.

Taylor Varnell took the mound for Winston-Salem and had a rough go in the second inning. A walk followed by four consecutive hits and a sacrifice fly put the ‘Dads ahead early 4-0.

The Dash struck back with a run in the third to claw back into the contest. Lenyn Sosa touched home on a Yoelqui Cespedes double that led to a throwing error from Hickory right fielder Pedro Gonzalez, giving Winston-Salem their first run of the game.

The Dash plated another in the fourth as Lazaro Leal knocked a two-bagger to score Duke Ellis who reached base in the same manner.

Yolbert Sanchez scored in the fifth on a double by Alex Destino to put the Dash within a run of tying at 4-3.

Winston-Salem put reliever Ben Anderson in a tight spot in the sixth inning by stringing five hits together to take the lead. Duke Ellis and Lazaro Leal went back-to-back with singles, with Ellis coming home on the Leal base knock after taking second on a balk. Kleyder Sanchez ripped a grounder down the third base line that popped off the barrier, taking Sanchez to second base and landing Leal at third. Lenyn Sosa clutched a single to bring Leal and Sanchez home and put the Dash in front 6-4.

The inning may have continued if not for a controversial call by home plate umpire Mitch Leikam. With two strikes, Yolbert Sanchez took extended time out of the box and was supposedly told to move back in by Leikam. Despite the warning, Sanchez did not move back in a timely fashion, resulting in a called third strike before a pitch was thrown.

Manager Ryan Newman argued and was ejected for the second time within a week after Sanchez was called out.

Brian Glowicki entered in the eighth inning and was roughed up by a resilient Hickory offense in the ninth. Frainyer Chavez and Miguel Aparicio logged back-to-back hits with a single and a double respectively. Chavez and Quiroz scored to tie the game at six as Kellen Strahm smacked a triple to left field. Blaine Crim broke the tie as he launched his eleventh homer of the season—a two-run blast to put the ‘Dads ahead 8-6.

The Dash tried for a rally in the ninth as Alex Destino flashed some power with a solo shot to center, marking his eighth home run of the year. Luis Curbelo singled immediately after but was stranded as the Dash fell 8-7.

Ben Anderson (1-0) nabbed the win for Hickory and was backed up by Jean Casanova, who penned his third save for 2021. Brian Glowicki (1-1) took the loss for Winston-Salem.