HICKORY, N.C. (Interstat) — The Hickory Crawdads host the Hill City Howlers on Wednesday at L.P. Frans Stadium, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. under clear skies and 77 degrees. Hickory (37-30) enters the game a half-game behind first place in its division, while Hill City (31-38) sits in last place in its own division, 12 games back.

The two teams opened a six-game series Tuesday night, with Hill City winning 6-5. That victory snapped a six-game losing streak for the Howlers, who had dropped nine of their previous 10 contests. Hickory, conversely, had won four straight before Tuesday’s defeat.

On the mound for Hill City will be right-hander Miguel Flores, who has been inconsistent this month. In his last outing on June 21 at Augusta, Flores threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing zero hits and striking out two in a 8-5 loss. However, in his two previous starts, he surrendered a combined 11 earned runs over 6 1/3 innings. For the season, Flores carries a 5.40 ERA.

Hickory will counter with right-hander Evan Siary, who is coming off a solid start. On June 21 against Columbia, Siary worked four innings, giving up six hits and one earned run with two strikeouts in a 4-3 win. Over his last five outings, he has a 4.05 ERA and has logged at least four innings in each appearance. Siary has been effective at home, posting a 2-1 record with a 3.20 ERA at L.P. Frans Stadium.

The head-to-head history this season heavily favors Hill City, which has won five of seven meetings. The Crawdads took two of three in a series at Hill City in April, but the Howlers have won both games played in Hickory, including Tuesday’s opener.

Hill City’s offense has struggled lately, scoring three or fewer runs in five of its last seven games, though it managed six runs Tuesday. Hickory’s bats have been more consistent, averaging 5.2 runs per game over the same span. Catcher Cal Stark drove in three runs in Hickory’s win Sunday, including a home run.

The Interstat game simulator projects a 5-3 victory for Hickory.

The series continues through Sunday, with the same two teams meeting each day. After this set, Hill City returns home for a five-game series against Fayetteville starting June 30. Hickory travels to Myrtle Beach for a six-game series beginning the same day.