Rain Helps Silence RiverDogs Bats; Crawdads Win 2-1
After giving up 25-runs to the Charleston RiverDogs in the last two games, the Hickory Crawdads were finally able to figure out a way to silence those bats – rain. Rain washed out the final four innings of this game, giving Hickory a 2-1 victory, thanks to the incredible pitching by Edgar Arredondo, who won his first game of the season.
Early on in this contest, both Arredondo and Charleston starter Nick Nelson were fantastic. The Crawdads starter allowed just two second inning singles through his first three innings of work, and Nelson was nearly as impressive. He got himself into some trouble in the first inning when he loaded the bases, but skillfully worked himself out of it to retire the side.
The game would remain a scoreless tie through the first three innings but, in the fourth, both teams were able to score. In the top of the fourth, Blake Rutherford doubled to start the inning and scored when Donny Sands singled into left field two batters later.
Trailing by a run, Hickory erased that deficit in the bottom half of the inning. Yanio Perez started off the frame by drawing a walk and he moved to third when Alex Kowalczyk lined a double into centerfield. A balk by Nelson scored Perez and Kowalczyk scored when Ti’Quan Forbes blooped a single into shallow centerfield. That made the score 2-1.
The game would head into the top of the sixth, but after the first two batters were retired the rains began to pour down and the game was called. Edgar Arredondo (1-2) went 5-innings to earn the victory. He allowed 5-hits and a single run, while striking out three. Matt Ball pitched to the two batters in the top of the sixth and was credited with his second save the season.
Donny Sands was the only hitter in the game who recorded more than one hit, going 2-2. Alex Kowalczyk went 1-2 with a run and a double for the Crawdads.
Tomorrow, the Charleston RiverDogs head to West Virginia to take on the Power. Nick Green (2-3, 3.13) will go for the RiverDogs and will be opposed by Luis Escobar (3-1, 4.99) first pitch is at 6:05.
By Robert Pannier
