HICKORY, N.C. (WHKY) – The Hickory Crawdads needed only two hits Saturday night as outstanding pitching and defense carried them to a 2-0 win over the Fayetteville Woodpeckers at L.P. Frans Stadium, extending their winning streak to a franchise-record-tying 15 games.

The streak matches the 15-game run by the 2023 Crawdads, who went on to win the second-half division title. Hickory improved to 82-47 overall and 48-17 in the second half with the victory.

Jacob Johnson turned in his best performance of the season for Hickory. The 20-year-old right-hander worked five hitless innings, needing just 70 pitches to earn his first victory of 2026.

Johnson allowed only three Fayetteville hitters to reach base — two on walks and another on an error — before turning the game over to the bullpen.

Cole Fehrman worked two scoreless innings before J.D. McReynolds finished the final two, earning his seventh save. The Woodpeckers managed four hits over the final four innings but could not push a run across.

Hickory’s offense was nearly as quiet, with Noah Franklin and Curley Martha accounting for the Crawdads’ only two hits.

Martha led off the third with a single and moved to second when Yolfran Castillo walked. Paulino Santana followed with another walk to load the bases with nobody out.

Jay McQueen then grounded into a double play, but Martha scored from third to give Hickory a 1-0 advantage.

The Crawdads manufactured an insurance run without a hit in the seventh. Daniel Flames drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a balk and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Martha was hit by a pitch, Castillo dropped down a sacrifice bunt that brought Flames home for a 2-0 lead.

On a night when Hickory couldn’t rely on its bats, the defense repeatedly protected that advantage.

Castillo helped turn a double play in the fourth and made another difficult play in the sixth after a Waner Luciano ground ball deflected off third baseman Martha’s glove.

His biggest defensive contribution came in the eighth.

With two outs and Owen Nowak at first, Kam Durnin doubled to right field. Nowak tried to score on the play, but right fielder Jay McQueen got the ball to Castillo, whose relay throw reached catcher Franklin in time for the tag at the plate, preserving the shutout.

McReynolds allowed a one-out single in the ninth before retiring the next two Fayetteville hitters to complete the shutout and extend one of the longest winning streaks in franchise history.

The Crawdads have not lost since August 19 and will have an opportunity to establish a new franchise record with their 16th consecutive victory Sunday in the regular-season finale against Fayetteville. Josh Owens is scheduled to start for Hickory with first pitch set for 2 p.m.

Hickory will then turn its attention to the postseason. The Crawdads host the Charleston RiverDogs Tuesday night at L.P. Frans Stadium in Game One of the Carolina League South Division Championship Series.