HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – With eight regular-season games to go, the Hickory Crawdads are hanging tough.
They had 15 hits on Saturday night and toppled visiting Columbia (S.C.) 11-7 at L.P. Frans Stadium to remain alone in first place in South Atlantic League (SAL) baseball.
REMAINING GAMES
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
Saturday, 7 p.m.: Greensboro
Next Sunday, 5 p.m.: Greensboro
Monday, Sept. 4, 1 p.m.: Greensboro
Before a crowd of 2,725, the Crawdads improved to 63-69 overall and 36-26 in the second half Northern Division standings, good enough to stay one game up on Greensboro (34-26), who fell 9-3 to Rome (Ga.) on Saturday.
TEJEDA
Anderson Tejeda had two triples and drove in four runs, and Franklin Rollin added three hits to lead Hickory, which plays Columbia on Sunday at 5 p.m. at Frans.
The Crawdads open a three-run lead in the first inning against the Fireflies (66-64, 26-36) on Saturday night. Tejeda drove in two runs with a triple and Alex Kowlaczyk’s single scored the other run.
After Columbia scored twice in the second, the Crawdads opened an 8-2 lead with a five-run fourth inning. Blaine Prescott’s groundball out scored a run, Tejeda had another triple – his ninth of the season– that scored two runs, Kowalczyk had an RBI single and Andretty Cordero singled in a run.
When they scored three runs in the sixth inning, the Crawdads were up 11-2.
Columbia scored five runs in the ninth inning.
Dan Rizzie had three of the Fireflies’ 12 hits while J.J. Franco, Dash Winningham and Quinn Brody each had two hits.
Andres Gimenez hit his fourth home run of the season in the ninth inning, a three-run shot, and Brodey (four RBI) hit his first home run of the year in the first inning.
Tejeda went 3-for-5 for Hickory, Rollin went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Tanner Gardner also had two hits and drove in a run.
Walker Weickel (5-4), the Crawdads’ starter, got a win after going 5 2/3 innings. He gave up six hits, two runs (both earned), walked two and struck out four. C.D. Pelham pitched the ninth inning, picking up his 13th save of the year.
Hickory hammered Fireflies starter Gabriel Llanes (5-11) early. He threw four innings, giving up 10 hits, eight runs (all earned) and walking two and striking out two.
After Sunday’s game closes the series with Columbia, the Crawdads have Monday off. They play Tuesday through Thursday at Charleston (S.C.) – game times are 7 p.m. the first two games and 6:35 p.m. on Thursday – and then close the regular-season at home with Greensboro.
The opening game with the Grasshoppers is Friday at 7 p.m. Game 2 is Saturday at 7 p.m., with Game 3 next Sunday at 5 p.m. and the Sept. 4 game begins at 1 p.m.
Greensboro has two rained out games that will not be made up. If the Crawdads and Grasshoppers tie for the Northern Division title, Greensboro would win the crown based on winning percentage.
The division winner advances to the SAL playoffs.
For Saturday’s boxscore, click on the link below.
http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?gid=2017_08_26_colafx_hicafx_1&t=g_box&did=milb&sid=t448