Hickory, NC- The Crawdads split a doubleheader on Sunday against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, falling 4-1 in the opener, while taking a 9-2 win in the finale of the series at LP Frans Stadium.
In game one, Riely Hunsaker (3-2) was the story for the Pelicans, as the right-hander tossed five shutout innings on his way to his third win of the season.
In the contest, Hunsaker surrendered two hits while striking out seven Crawdads' hitters.
Deric Alcantara drove home the first run in the second inning on a bloop single to left-center field, plating Derniche Valdez.
In the seventh inning, the Pelicans sealed the game with a three-run frame, as Fernando Cruz and Edward Vargas connected for their first homers of 2026 off reliever Jormy Nivar to build a 4-0 advantage.
The 'Dads would get on the board in the seventh as Angel Arredondo launched his eighth homer of the year to left off Myrtle Beach reliever Anhuar Garcia.
Garcia would retire the next three batters to close out the game, earning his first save of the season.
Daniel Keaney watched his record fall to 2-2 on the year, pitching four innings of three-hit baseball, striking out five in the losing effort.
In game two, the Crawdads fell behind early as starter Moises Morales opened the game with a trio of walks. However, the Crawdads right-hander was able to minimize the damage, holding Myrtle Beach to a single run.
Trailing 1-0 in the third, the Crawdads sent ten men to the plate, scoring six times in the frame.
Marco Argudin and Deward Tovar had the critical hits in the third, as both players doubled home runs to build a 6-1 advantage.
From there, the 'Dads added on runs in the next two innings to earn the win in the series finale.
Michael Trausch picked up the win to move his record to 6-3 for Hickory (55-38, 21-8), while Jordan Henriquez (2-4) dropped the decision for Myrtle Beach (38-56, 11-19).
The win on Sunday clinches another series for the 'Dads and concludes a 6-2 mark for the first homestand after the All-Star break.
The Crawdads will take Monday off before heading to Salisbury, Maryland, for a six-game series against the Delmarva Shorebirds, the Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.