HICKORY, NC - Zach Morris got Ricardo Valencia to fly out to left-center to end the game as the BlueClaws, who scored four times in the top of the ninth, held off a Hickory rally and topped the Crawdads 6-4 at LP Frans Stadium on Tuesday.

The BlueClaws (10-9/39-49) have now won five of their last six games and picked up their first win in four games with Hickory (9-10/47-42).

Lakewood carried a 6-1 lead into the bottom of the night, but Sutter McLoughlin, who entered the inning having thrown 12 straight scoreless frames, allowed three straight to reach and one to score. Morris came in and after a two-run single by Yeyson Yrizarri, got the next three outs to end the game and earn his fourth save (all in the second half). Morris has allowed just one earned run in his last 25.2 innings of work.

Starter Seranthony Dominguez (1-1) bounced back from a loss in his Lakewood debut, allowing one run over six innings to get his first win as a BlueClaw.

Trailing 1-0, the BlueClaws took the lead with two runs in the sixth inning. They tied the game on an RBI groundout by Wilson Garcia and took the lead when Jose Pujols followed with an RBI single to left field.

Both runs were charged to Blake Bass (3-2), who gave up those two runs in three innings of relief. Starter Matt Ball threw five scoreless innings but did not factor in the decision.

Lakewood then added four in the ninth inning. Deivi Grullon hit a two-run home run, his fourth of the year, for a 4-1 lead and Josh Tobias added two more on an RBI single for a 6-1 BlueClaws lead.

Josh Tobias, Damek Tomscha, and Cornelius Randolph all had two hits in the win for the BlueClaws.

The series with Hickory continues on Wednesday afternoon at 12:00. RHP Franklyn Kilome (2-7) starts for Lakewood against LHP Wes Benjamin (3-4).

- BlueClaws -