KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (WHKY) — The Hickory Crawdads did not need many hits Monday night. They just needed one of them to come at the right time.

Marco Argudin’s three-run home run in the second inning accounted for all of Hickory’s scoring, while five Crawdads pitchers combined to hold the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers to one run in a 3-1 victory at Atrium Health Ballpark.

The Crawdads improved to 65-41 despite finishing with only two hits. Kannapolis collected six hits but went just 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 10 runners.

Rain played a role throughout the night. The start was delayed by weather, pushing first pitch to 8:48 p.m., and another rain delay interrupted play during the bottom of the seventh inning. The game lasted 3 hours, 22 minutes, including a combined 2 hours, 15 minutes of delays.

Kannapolis grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the first. Jaden Fauske led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A throwing error allowed Matthew Boughton to reach and put runners at the corners before Braden Holcomb’s groundout brought Fauske home for a 1-0 advantage.

Hickory answered with what proved to be the decisive swing in the second.

Jay McQueen and Kolby Branch opened the inning with consecutive walks against Kannapolis starter Gabriel Rodriguez. After Curley Martha popped out, Argudin drove a pitch over the right-field wall for his third home run of the season, giving the Crawdads a 3-1 lead.

It was also Hickory’s first hit of the game — and the Crawdads would get only one more.

Noah Franklin singled in the fifth inning for Hickory’s other hit. The Crawdads instead relied on nine walks, a hit batter and the first-inning catcher’s interference to put runners on base. Hickory struck out 14 times and finished 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, with Argudin’s homer providing all three runs.

Connor O’Hara started for Hickory and worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits and one unearned run while striking out five and walking one. Kannapolis threatened in the second when Alexander Albertus doubled and Clay Burdette singled to put runners at the corners with nobody out, but O’Hara escaped without allowing a run, including getting Albertus at the plate on a fielder’s choice.

J.D. McReynolds entered with the bases loaded and two outs in the fourth and retired Boughton on a popout to preserve the two-run lead. McReynolds followed with a scoreless fifth and earned the win, improving to 6-2.

Louis Marinaro worked 1 2/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts before Aneudis Mejia recorded the final out of the seventh and pitched a scoreless eighth. Kannapolis put a runner in scoring position against Mejia when Stiven Flores doubled to begin the eighth, but Mejia responded by retiring the next three hitters, including two by strikeout.

Michael Trausch handled the ninth. After a leadoff walk, Trausch retired three straight Cannon Ballers, striking out Fauske before Boughton grounded into a game-ending forceout. Trausch earned his second save.

Hickory’s pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts and five walks while allowing six hits. The Crawdads also turned a double play in the fifth and repeatedly worked out of trouble as Kannapolis left runners aboard in six different innings.

Rodriguez (2-3) took the loss after allowing three runs on one hit and four walks in two innings. Kannapolis’ bullpen was nearly flawless afterward, allowing only Franklin’s fifth-inning single over seven scoreless innings.