Kaden Carpenter gave the Hickory Crawdads an early lead with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, and Evan Siary made it stand up. The right-hander tossed 6.0 shutout innings as Hickory evened its Carolina League South Division Series with the Charleston RiverDogs, 4-3, on September 10, 2026.

Siary, who has been the ace of Hickory's staff all season, carried a perfect game into the sixth inning before J.D. Gonzalez broke it up with a line-drive single to center. His final line: 6.0 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 7 SO, with 12 whiffs on 85 pitches (65 strikes).

Carpenter provided most of the offense, finishing 3-for-4 with the home run and 3 RBI. He hit 6 home runs in 31 regular-season games. Deward Tovar added the other RBI, going 1-for-4. Yolfran Castillo (1-for-5), Paulino Santana (1-for-3, BB), and Jay McQueen (0-for-2, BB) each scored a run, and Curley Martha also recorded a hit. Hickory finished with 4 runs on 7 hits.

Out of the bullpen, William Privette — the Rangers' 13th-round pick in 2023 — earned a hold, working 0.2 innings and allowing a run on 2 hits and 2 walks with a strikeout across 22 pitches (10 strikes). J.D. McReynolds, the club's 10th-round pick in 2025, also picked up a hold, pitching 0.2 innings and allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk with a strikeout on 21 pitches (12 strikes). Jesus Lafalaise closed it out for the save, touching 97 mph and working 1.2 innings while allowing a run on 2 hits and a wild pitch across 31 pitches (18 strikes).

The RiverDogs scored in each of the final three innings and finished with 3 runs on 7 hits. Shortstop Cooper Fleming went 2-for-4 with an RBI, and Andreimi Antunez went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jack Lines drove in Charleston's other run on a groundout in the ninth. Grady Emerson did not start for the RiverDogs but entered as a pinch runner in the bottom of the ninth.

Hickory dropped Game 1 of the series, 9-8, in 10 innings. The series now shifts to a decisive Game 3, with the winner advancing to the Carolina League Championship.