HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Blaine Prescott’s 10th-inning home run — a walk-off shot — gave Hickory a 4-3 victory on Sunday over visiting Delmarva (Md.) that pushed the Crawdads into a tie for first place.
Improving to 10-8 in the second half of the South Atlantic League (SAL) Northern Division and 38-50 overall, the Crawdads gained a share of first place in the division when Kannapolis swept Hagerstown (Md.) in a Sunday doubleheader in Kannapolis.
Blaine Prescott is hitting .295 in his last 10 games with four home runs — including a game-winner on Sunday — and seven RBIs.
Hickory finishes its series with Delmarva, which remains in third place, on Monday at noon at L.P. Frans Stadium. After a day off on Tuesday, the Crawdads then play road series at Asheville and Greenville, S.C., this week.
Leading off the 10th inning and with 1,325 watching on Sunday, Prescott drilled a game-winning home run with a line drive that cleared the fence in left field. It was his seventh home run of the season and his second RBI of the game.
Alex Kowalczyk added a double, driving in two runs, as Hickory matched the Shorebirds (39-47, 11-7) with eight hits and also overcame two errors to win.
Milton Ramos went 3-for-4, including a double, to lead Delmarva.
Reliever Joseph Kuzia, after blowing a save, gained a win for Hickory after throwing two innings. He gave up two hits, one run (earned), walked none and struck out one.
Crawdads starter Kyle Cody went seven innings, allowing three hits, no runs and he walked two and struck out five.
Jake Bray took the loss for the Shorebirds after throwing 1 1/3 innings. He gave up three hits, two runs (both earned), walked one and struck out two.
Delmarva starter Jhon Peluffo left after six innings. He allowed three hits, a run (earned), walked one and struck out four.
Hickory gained an early lead with a run in the third inning when Charles Leblanc singled and scored on Prescott’s sacrifice fly.
Delmarva took the lead in the eighth inning with two runs against reliever Dario Beltre. Ramos doubled and Tanner Kirk singled before Beltre uncorked a wild pitch that scored a run. An error on Leblanc at third base scored the other run, putting the Shorebirds ahead 2-1.
Hickory scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead 3-2, scoring when Franklin Rollin singled with two outs, Leody Taveras walked and Kowalczyk’s double scored both runners.
The Shorebirds got a run in the ninth inning off Kuzia to force extra innings. It scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Ring.
Click on the link below for Sunday’s boxscore.
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2017_07_09_delafx_hicafx_1&t=g_box&did=milb&sid=t448