Welcome to HickoryRecord.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

HickoryRecord.com - Hickory Daily Record

HomeNewsEntertainmentSportsLifestylesOpinionCommunityWeather Online Tools Jobs | Real Estate | Shopping | Classified

'Dads slip past Kannapolis

John M Setzler Jr.

Hickory Crawdads pitcher Neil Ramirez throws to the plate against the Kannapolis Intimidators on Thursday.

By W.D. Fisher

Record Sports Correspondent

Published: June 26, 2009

HICKORY - Jared Bolden scored on a one-out bases loaded sacrifice fly to left field by Mike Hollander in the bottom of the ninth to give Hickory a 6-5 win over Kannapolis in South Atlantic League play at L.P. Frans Stadium on Thursday in the first game of a four-game series.

In the first half of the season, Hickory didn't fare well in one-run decisions.

"The first half we had trouble winning one-run games and this was a nice way to start off the second half," said Hickory manager Hector Ortiz. "Hopefully this will be confidence builder as the kids can see we are capable of winning these type of games."

Hickory (34-36 overall, 1-0 second half) was 7-13 in one-run games in the first half, and 1-6 in its last seven one-run games.

The Crawdads are 4-3 against Kannapolis (37-34, 0-1) this season and has won three of the last four meetings.

The bottom half of the order, hitters six through nine, came through for Hickory in the ninth and combined for seven of the Crawdads' 13 hits.

"No matter part of the lineup we have up, if they concentrate, put the ball in play and get on base they are very capable of getting the job done," said Ortiz.

In the bottom of the ninth, Bolden singled with one out to start the rally.

Hickory loaded the bases when Leury Garcia singled and leadoff hitter David Paisano was hit by Tyson Corley (3-1) setting the table for Hollander.

Both teams scored in the first inning, and Hickory took its first lead of the night at 2-1 in the second.

Kannapolis responded in the top of the fifth with three runs to take a 4-2 lead on the strength of a three-run home run by Justin Green.

Hickory came right back with two in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 4-all.

After two scoreless innings, both teams scored in the eighth to go into the ninth tied at 5-all.

Mike Bianucci, second in the SAL in hitting, led Hickory with four hits and two RBIs.

Christian Santana, Bolden and Garcia had two hits each.

Santana scored two runs and had one RBI.

Reliever Tyler Tufts (3-1) earned the win and Corley (3-1) took the loss.

Hickory got solid pitching from its relievers as Carlos Pimentel and Tufts limited Kannapolis to two hits, one run, five strikeouts and one walk over the final 4 2/3 innings.

"Our bullpen did an excellent job of keeping us in the game," said Ortiz.

The two teams meet today at 7 p.m. in Game 2 of the series.

Hickory is slated to start right-hander Wilfredo Boscan (4-3, 2.25 ERA) and Kannapolis is slated to start left-hander Charlie Leesman (5-4, 3.01).