Hickory, N.C. — The Crawdads got a two-run homer from Noah Franklin, regaining a 4-3 lead in the sixth inning to propel the ’Dads past the Augusta GreenJackets on Friday night at LP Frans Stadium.
The Crawdads came into the game having lost two straight for the first time since July 9. The two losses were at the hands of the GreenJackets in Augusta prior to the MLB All-Star break.
The Crawdads got on the board in their first at-bat, as Yolfran Castillo scored on an errant throw from Augusta catcher Jacob Jarrell. Jarrell’s throwing error was brought about by Paulino Santana picking up a single and collecting his nineteenth stolen base of the season.
In the fourth inning, Kolby Branch claimed an RBI single, scoring Kaden Carpenter, to boost the Hickory lead to 2-0.
The RBI was Branch’s third of the series, as the former Georgia Bulldog has collected hits on consecutive nights.
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Mason McConnaughey was very good in four innings of work, scattering four hits while striking out three Augusta batters.
In the fifth inning, Augusta leveled the score on a two-run double from Juan Mateo to even the game at 2-2.
An inning later, Junior Tilien gave Augusta the lead with an RBI single off Jormy Nivar to make it a 3-2 GreenJackets advantage.
A half-inning later, Franklin lifted a deep fly ball over the Lowe’s Foods sign in right-center field to give Hickory a lead it would not surrender.
Nivar (6-0) went 2.2 innings to earn the win for Hickory (62-41, 28-11), pushing its South Division lead back to 5.5 games over Augusta.
The game’s outcome was not certain for Hickory, even after Michael Trausch got the Crawdads through the eighth with a sensational double play that stifled a would-be rally for the GreenJackets.
In the ninth, JD McReynolds came on to close out the game for Hickory, nabbing his fifth save of 2026 and his first since May 2.
But it wouldn’t come easy.
Carter Beck led off the ninth with a single, which was followed by Juan Mateo reaching on an error from Daniel Flames.
With runners at first and second, McReynolds was unfazed, as the Missouri native struck out Matt Scannell, Cooper McMurray and Tanner Smith to quell the threat and send the 2,422 fans home happy Friday night.
Kade Woods absorbed the loss for Augusta (57-47, 22-16), dropping his record to 2-3 on the year.
With the series even at two games apiece, Hickory will send right-hander Jacob Johnson to the bump, opposite Augusta starter Luis Arestigueta. The Saturday night first pitch at the Frans is set for 7 p.m.
