HICKORY, NC - The Grasshoppers split their two games with the Hickory Crawdads at LP Frans Stadium over the weekend.

The Hoppers fell in the Saturday contest, as the Crawdads' pitching staff held the Hoppers to two runs on seven hits.

Outfielder Jeremy Synan led the Hoppers offensively with his 2-3 performance at the plate, while Justin Bass drove in the Grasshoppers' only run of the evening, lacing his fifth double of the season into the left-center gap to plate Kyle Skipworth.

Crawdad's pitchers, ranked third in the Sally League, held the Grasshoppers hitless with runners in scoring position, thwarting any chance of a rally and ultimately defeating the visiting Grasshoppers 5-2.

The Hoppers bounced back Sunday to defeat the Crawdads in an offensive showcase, as all nine hitters reached base safely during the contest.  Five Grasshoppers' hitters registered multiple hits, collecting 16 total base knocks to down the Crawdads 11-7.

Paul Gran and Ben Lasater paved the way for the Grasshoppers, collecting three hits apiece, while Justin Jacobs led in the RBIs category, driving in three of the Hoppers' 11 runs. 

Hickory struck early in the Sunday contest, scoring two quick runs in the second thanks to a home run by left fielder Timmy Rodriquez.

The Grasshoppers answered in the third, plating one run  when Gran singled to bring home Daniel Pertusati.  Kevin Mattison forced a 2-2 deadlock in the fifth after belting his eighth long ball of the season.

With one out in the seventh inning, the Grasshoppers busted the game open by stringing together five consecutive hits.  Bass balsted a two-run homer to left before Lasater reached on a double and scored on Mattison's line single to right field. 

The seven-run seventh inning gave the Hoppers their first lead of the afternoon, tagging Hickory relievers for two more in the eighth and nine runs on the day.

Bass led off the eighth with a single, and later scored on Lasater's league-leading 22^nd double of the season.  Synan scored on a sacrifice fly later in the inning, as Jacobs delivered his third RBI of the day.

With his two-hit day, Bass took the team lead in home runs with 10, and has now hit safely in six straight games.  He now has seven multi-hit performances in his last 13 contests, and has failed to record a hit only once during the stretch.

Brad Hand (3-6) picked up the win for the Hoppers, tossing six innings while allowing three runs on three hits.  Hand worked six innings for just the third time all season, walking two and fanning five to end his four-game losing streak.

The Hoppers (28-27) take on the Crawdads in the series finale today at LP Frans Stadium.  With a win, the Grasshoppers would take the series and jump Hickory a whole game in the Northern Division standings.  The day game is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.