Wood Ducks Edge Out Pelicans 6-5 on Saturday Night

Myrtle Beach has now dropped three straight series

By Sam Weiderhaft

After tying the game in the top of the eighth, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans allowed a run in the bottom half to fall to the Down East Wood Ducks 6-5 in the fifth game of the series. The loss, which is the fourth in a row for the Pelicans, secured the series victory for the Wood Ducks. Myrtle Beach dropped to 69-44 and 22-25 in the second half. Down East moved to 59-54 and 26-21 in the second half.

The Pelicans outhit the Wood Ducks 8-5 as James Triantos (2-3, RBI, BB) posted a multi-hit game with the game-tying RBI single in the eighth. Juan Mora (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI) drove home two with a double in the second. Kevin Alcantara (1-4, RBI) and Liam Spence (1-4, RBI) also collected RBI in the defeat.

Angel Hernandez (3-3) took the loss with two runs, one earned allowed in his 3 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Despite not giving up a hit, Hernandez walked four and hit a batter while collecting five strikeouts. Starter Grant Kipp lasted four innings with four runs, three earned coming across with six strikeouts.

Off the production of five hits, Down East won their fourth game in a row. Yosy Galan (1-4, 2B, 2 RBI) led the team with a pair of RBI with Miguel Villarroel (0-0, RBI, BB) providing the pinch-hit walk in the bottom of the eighth to give the Wood Ducks the lead.

Five pitchers were shown throughout the game with Adrian Rodriguez (2-0) taking the win despite blowing the save. Rodriguez went one inning with one earned run off one hit. Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa kept the Pelicans scoreless in the ninth to save his seventh game of the year.

Most of the runs for the Wood Ducks came home in the bottom of the first. With runners on first and second, Galan lined a double to left to plate both. Marcus Smith followed with a double to score Galan and Smith scored on a wild pitch by Kipp a few batters later as Down East left the first inning with a 4-0 lead.

The Pelicans got right back in the game with a three-run top of the second. With runners on the corners and one out, Mora hit a double to center field that scored both runners. Spence followed with a single up the middle that scored Mora to cut the lead to 4-3 Down East.

Myrtle Beach tied the game in the top of the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, Alcantara lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that plated Triantos from third to even the game at four.

That tie would last until the bottom of the seventh when Maximo Acosta led off with a walk for the Wood Ducks. He moved to second on a groundout and stole third as well. The throw by catcher Ethan Hearn to third base went wild, allowing Acosta to score on the play to give Down East the lead back at 5-4.

Rodriguez came in to pitch in the top of the eighth and immediately walked Moises Ballesteros and threw a wild pitch to move Ballesteros to second. With Ballesteros on third following a groundout, Triantos grounded a single to left to bring in the tying run.

In a 5-5 game, Ian Moller walked and Liam Hicks was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the eighth with one out. Gregori Montano would replace Hernandez on the mound for the Pelicans and gave up a single to Abimelec Ortiz to load the bases. Villarroel came in to pinch-hit and drew a five-pitch walk to bring in the go-ahead run as the Wood Ducks grabbed the lead back 6-5.

The Pelicans left the tying run on base in the top of the ninth after two batters struck out to end the game with Alcantara on base.

The series will conclude on Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m.