Charleston Riverdogs Game Recap 5/14

Late-Game Surge Not Enough for RiverDogs

Charleston erases a 3-0 deficit before Hickory's ninth-inning spurt wins the game

CHARLESTON, SC - The Charleston RiverDogs needed to overcome a three-run deficit and a power outage on Wednesday evening, but the Hickory Crawdads scored in their last at bat for a 5-3 win in front of 2,723 fans at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park in South Atlantic League action.

The RiverDogs are now 20-18 while the Crawdads' record moves to 17-21. Also, Mike Ford's rally-starting single in the sixth inning extended his on-base streak to 11 straight games.

Hickory was aided by errors as the Crawdads took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Ryan Cordell reached on an error and reached third base after a stolen base with a throwing error. Ronald Guzman's single scored Cordell to put Hickory in front. Guzman stole second base and would score after a single from Travis Demerrite.

A sixth-inning home run pushed Hickory's lead to 3-0. RiverDogs southpaw Ian Clarkin had retired 11 straight batters but gave up a solo home run to Demerrite. Clarkin finished six innings of work with only one earned run allowed and he struck out four Crawdads.

Charleston rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in its half of the sixth. Tyler Wade's leadoff double preceded a pair of strikeouts from Hickory's Kelvin Vasquez. Ford followed with a single that brought in Wade, who slid around a tag attempt to get the RiverDogs on the scoreboard. Michael O'Neill extended the inning with his own single before Miguel Andujar and John Murphy each produced run-scoring singles that evened the score.

Despite the rally, the action slowed down in the seventh inning due to a power outage. The lights went out with two outs and a 1-1 count to Hickory shortstop Michael De Leon. After a 21-minute delay, De Leon grounded out on the first pitch of the game's resumption.

In the final inning, the Crawdads broke the tie with two outs to claim the victory. The second out came on a sacrifice fly from De Leon that brought in Jairo Beras for the go-ahead score. Evan Van Hoosier responded with a home run that stretched the lead to 5-3. In the bottom of the inning, Cody Kendall walked the potential tying runs but kept the RiverDogs scoreless.

Kendall's win pushes his record to 3-2. Omar Luis is 1-1 for Charleston following the loss.

BALLPARK FUN: Middle Child Awareness Night highlighted famous middle children that overcame the potential woes of being stuck between siblings. Peyton Manning and Owen Wilson are two of the most successful examples that were included. The Beech Hill Jugglers entertained the fans with several on-field routines at the game. Doby's Deck was filled with folks from Lowcountry Red Cross.

COMING UP: Game two of this three-game series is scheduled to start at 7:05pm on Thursday with Charleston LHP Caleb Smith (3-2, 0.84 ERA) squaring off against Hickory LHP Frank Lopez (3-1, 1.38 ERA). Visit the Ashley View Pub on Budweiser Thirsty Thursday, presented by 95SX, for $1 drafts, DJ Natty Heavy, and Wild Wing Café wing-eating contest. One lucky nurse will receive a $500 scholarship check on Nurses Night while Mozo will be prepared for a postgame concert adjacent to the Beer Garden, sponsored by Palmetto Brewery and Awendaw Green.Tickets may be purchased at the Riley Park Box Office, (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or on-line at www.riverdogs.com. If fans cannot make it to the ballpark, they are encouraged to tune in to all the action this year both home and away worldwide on www.riverdogs.com and locally on 1250 WTMA, the new radio home for RiverDogs baseball.

Box Score: http://atmilb.com/1mWezmo

Being posted with permission from the Charleston Riverdogs. The original post can be seen HERE.