Hickory, NC- The Hickory Crawdads used a three-run sixth inning to claim a 7–5 win Tuesday night against the Salem RidgeYaks at LP Frans Stadium.
The two clubs came into the contest representing the best records in the Carolina League, with both teams leading their divisions with 7–2 marks.
The Crawdads, winners of four straight coming into Tuesday, got on the board in the third inning as Angel Arredondo and Daniel Flames singled and scored off Salem starter Leighton Finley.
Salem responded with a four-run fourth, highlighted by Skylar King's second long ball of the season. His opposite-field clout was a three-run shot off Hickory starter Frank Martinez, giving the RidgeYaks a 4–2 advantage.
In the sixth, with Hickory trailing 5–3, Deward Tovar lifted his second homer of the season just over the wall in left-center field, trimming the lead to 5–4. It was the first homer hit by a Crawdads player at the Frans in 2026.
Later in the frame, Yolfran Castillo dropped a beautiful bunt down the third-base line for a single. The throw from Ty Hodge eluded Salem first baseman D'Angelo Ortiz and rolled into foul ground, allowing Hector Osorio to score from first. Castillo took third on the error, tying the game at 5–5.
Daniel Flames broke the stalemate with a single to center, scoring Castillo to regain a 6–5 lead.
In the seventh, Marcos Torres gave Hickory a much-needed insurance run to increase the lead to 7–5. Torres hit a hustle double, stole third, and then scored on a wild pitch, single-handedly manufacturing the game's final run.
Aneudis Mejia tossed four innings in relief to pick up his first win of 2026, while JD McReynolds notched his third save of the campaign.
Flames led the nine-hit attack with a trio of hits, while Castillo earned a pair of knocks in the win.
Tomorrow, Aidan Deakins will take the ball for Hickory seeking his first win of the year. First pitch for this Education Day game is at 11:00 am.