HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Hickory High rallied for two runs in the seventh inning on Thursday night to pick up a win that assures it will finish at least third in Northwestern 3A-4A baseball.
HHS head baseball coach David Craft is closing in on 450 career wins. Thursday’s win over Hibriten was No. 447.
The Red Tornadoes, playing at home, edged Hibriten 5-4 to improve to 15-8 overall and 9-4 in the conference.
The victory moves Hickory head coach David Craft closer to 450 career victories. He is in his 29th season and has reached 447 wins. At Hickory, he has 427 wins in 27 seasons.
With fourth-place Hibriten (11-9, 7-6) picking up its sixth league loss, Hickory will do no worse than finish third behind Fred T. Foard and South Caldwell.
The Red Tornadoes close their regular season at Watauga on Friday at 7 p.m., while Patton visits Hibriten on Friday for a 7 p.m. game.
Watauga must make up a rained out game against South Caldwell on Saturday at noon in Hudson.
If Hickory beats Watauga and Watauga were to beat South Caldwell, the Red Tornadoes would tie South Caldwell for second place.
In Thursday night’s game, Tristan Whaley pitched three scoreless innings in relief, giving up just two hits.
Macory Mitchell’s single in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Bryce Stober (singled). The other run scored earlier in the inning when Jim Gniadek was driven in by a single by Pierson Hanvey.
Gniadek, Hanvey and Mitchell each had two hits for Hickory. Hanvey doubled and Mitchell had a triple.
Hibriten’s Thomas Wilson had two hits.