HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – The Crawdads face Columbia (S.C.) on Saturday at 7 p.m. as a team still tied for a division lead.
Columbia nipped Hickory 3-1 on Friday night before 4,925 at L.P. Frans Stadium, and Greensboro kept pace with a 4-1 win over Rome (Ga.) as the battle for the South Atlantic League (SAL) Northern Division title continues.
REMAINING GAMES
Saturday, 7 p.m.: Columbia, S.C.
Sunday, 5 p.m.: Columbia, S.C.
Tuesday, 7:05 p.m.: at Charleston, S.C.
Wednesday, 7:05 p.m.: at Charleston, S.C.
Thursday, 6:35 p.m.: at Charleston, S.C.
Friday, 7 p.m.: Greensboro
Next Saturday, 7 p.m.: Greensboro
Next Sunday, 5 p.m.: Greensboro
Monday, Sept. 4, 1 p.m.: Greensboro
The Crawdads (62-69, 35-26) and the Grasshoppers (34-25) share the lead with West Virginia, a 5-4, 10-inning winner on Friday over Hagerstown, Md., at 33-28 and two games back.
After Saturday’s game, the Crawdads will have just eight left in the regular season.
Greensboro has had two games rained out that will not be made up, so the Grasshoppers would win the title based on winning percentage if they’re still tied with Hickory at the end of the regular season.
On Friday night, Dash Winningham went 3-for-3 with a double and drove in a run and Natanel Ramos had an RBI to back three-hit pitching by the Fireflies (66-63, 26-35).
Darwin Ramos (5-2) got a win after he threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up two hits, one run (earned), walking four and striking out six.
Matt Blackham gained his sixth save of the season by pitching the ninth. He gave up a hit and struck out two, including Yohel Pozo swinging to end the game.
Columbia scored all of its runs in the fourth inning, when Winningham had a run-scoring single, a run scored on a wild pitch and Natanel Ramos singled in a run.
Hickory scored in the sixth inning. Eric Jenkins walked and, with one out, Leody Tevaras walked. With two outs, Alex Kowlaczyk, who had two of the Crawdads’ three hits, singled in a run. Pozo had Hickory’s other hit.
Edgar Arrendondo (6-6) took the loss for Hickory. He pitched seven innings, gave up seven hits and three runs (all earned) with no walks and seven strikeouts.
For Friday night’s boxscore, click on the link below.
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2017_08_25_colafx_hicafx_1&t=g_box&did=milb&sid=t448