The Delmarva Shorebirds lost their second consecutive game to the Hickory Crawdads, 14-2, on Friday, July 31, 2026, in Salisbury, Maryland. Paulino Santana hit a three-run home run during Hickory’s five-run ninth inning.
Delmarva entered the game with a 36-64 overall record and a 13-21 mark, while Hickory entered at 58-39 overall and 24-9. Hickory took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning when Pablo Guerrero drove in a run with a groundout.
Hickory Crawdads Take Early Lead
Jaiden Lo Re tied the game with a leadoff home run, his second of the season. DJ Layton later scored on a throwing error to give the Delmarva Shorebirds a 2-1 lead.
Hickory answered with two runs in the second inning. Daniel Flames hit an RBI double, and Yolfran Castillo followed with a successful squeeze bunt to put the Crawdads ahead 3-2.
Crawdads Pull Away After the Fourth
Hickory added three runs in the fourth inning on RBI singles by Yolfran Castillo and Pablo Guerrero and a two-out error. Guerrero added another run-scoring single in the sixth. Kaden Carpenter followed with a solo home run, his first of the season, giving Hickory an 8-2 advantage.
Paulino Santana hit an RBI single in the seventh inning to extend the Crawdads’ lead to 9-2. Hickory then scored five times in the ninth, with Santana’s three-run home run, his 12th of the season, highlighting the inning.
Hickory held on for the 14-2 victory. Jormy Nivar earned the win in relief with a 5-0 record, while Dalton Neuschwander took the loss for Delmarva, falling to 1-10.
Delmarva Shorebirds Set for Saturday Game
The Delmarva Shorebirds are scheduled to face the Hickory Crawdads again Saturday. Jake Dykhoff is set to make his Single-A debut for Delmarva against Jacob Johnson of Hickory.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
Maryland Sports Blog Analysis
The Delmarva Shorebirds briefly led after Jaiden Lo Re’s leadoff home run and DJ Layton’s run on a throwing error, but Hickory quickly regained control. The Crawdads scored in the second, fourth, sixth, seventh, and ninth innings after taking the lead, with Santana’s three-run homer providing the decisive finish.
Delmarva will have an opportunity to respond Saturday when Jake Dykhoff makes his Single-A debut against Jacob Johnson.
Source: Original report
