(Media release from the Rome Braves):
The ninth and final game of the homestand went the way of the Hickory Crawdads Sunday afternoon after a three-run top of the tenth.
Hickory (17-6, 44-40) jumped out to an early 3-0 in the second after a pair of singles and a Daniel Mateo triple. Rome (12-12, 42-48) battled back in the home half of the third; Bryson Horne singled to right to lead off the inning and, after a fielder’s choice, a Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. double and a Geraldo Quintero 2-RBI single brought Rome within one.
The Braves extinguished the lead in the fifth after a pair of two-out walks to Kilpatrick and Quintero set-up an RBI single from Drake Baldwin. Innings six through nine went by without a run being scored by either side. Jose Montilla fired three scoreless innings in relief of Daniel Martinez and Peyton Williams held the ‘Dads scoreless in the ninth.
Rome had an opportunity to strand the bases loaded in the top of the tenth and came within one strike of doing so. But singles from Hickory’s Tucker Mitchell and Geisel Cepeda brought in the ghost runner and two more to cement the win for the Crawdads, 6-3.
The Braves will spend the next two weeks in the Carolinas where they have dates scheduled with the Asheville Tourists and the Greenville Drive. Game one in Asheville is set for 6:35 pm EDT on Tuesday.
