MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Mario Feliciano went 1-for-4 with a RBI triple and a run in the fourth and Wes Rogers went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run as well, but the Mudcats ended up on the bad end of a three game sweep while falling 5-2 to the
MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Mario Feliciano went 1-for-4 with a RBI triple and a run in the fourth and Wes Rogers went 1-for-3 with a triple and a run as well, but the Mudcats ended up on the bad end of a three game sweep while falling 5-2 to the Pelicans on Thursday night in Myrtle Beach.
Carolina (23-36, 62-66) led first after taking a 2-0 lead in the fourth when Feliciano brought in a run with a RBI triple to center. Feliciano then scored moments later on a sacrifice fly to right by Payton Henry as Carolina went up 2-0 in the game. Carolina's lead, however, was short-lived as the Pelicans (32-27, 53-73) came back with a two-run double by Luke Reynolds to tie the game at 2-2 in the fourth. Reynolds later broke the tie with a run scoring triple in the sixth and Myrtle Beach added two more runs in the eighth with help of a Carolina error while going up 5-2 late in the game.
Wuilder Rodriguez started for the Mudcats and ended up with the loss after allowing both of Reynolds' run scoring hits in the fourth and sixth. Rodriguez (L, 0-1, 6.52) began his outing by retiring three straight on groundouts in the first, pitching around a lead off single in the second, while throwing just four pitches in the inning, and then retiring the side in the third before giving up the game-tying hit in the fourth. He faced the minimum through three and allowed three runs while scattering four hits in the loss. Rodriguez also walked two and struck out three.
Brendon Little started and earned the victory for the Pelicans while allowing two runs on just three hits over six innings pitched. Little (W, 2-1, 5.52) walked six in the victory, but also struck out six while reaching 89 pitches (47 strikes). Little also escaped a bases loaded jam in the sixth while retiring three straight with bases full to hold Carolina scoreless in the frame.
Little was later followed by reliever Jesus Camargo who went on to work a three inning save while allowing a hit, walking one and totaling one strikeout. His lone hit was a triple allowed to Rogers in the seventh, but Camargo (S, 4) managed to work around it while leaving a runner at third in the seventh.
The Mudcats went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the game and left 10 men on base. Feliciano had their only run scoring hit as his triple in the fourth scored the first run of the game. Feliciano went 1-for-4 with a run, one run and a triple in the loss. Pat McInerney also went 1-for-4 while extending his hitting streak to five straight games. Rogers was 1-for-3 with a triple and Payton Henry was 1-for-3 with a RBI.
Relievers Chad Whitmer and Anthony Bender combined to work through the final inning and 1/3 in the game for the Mudcats. Whitmer left an inherited runner on in the sixth and struck out the side in the seventh. Bender later allowed two unearned runs and walked two in the eighth.
The loss dropped Carolina to 2-4 in their penultimate road trip of the season. They began the trip taking two of three from Lynchburg, but then lost three straight to the Pelicans while finishing the year at 6-9 against Myrtle Beach overall.
The Mudcats will next return home to Five County Stadium on Friday night for game one of their final home stand of the season. The home stand will run seven games and will feature three games versus Lynchburg and four game versus Fayetteville.
Friday's game will begin at 7:00 p.m. in Zebulon and will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. It will also stream in high-definition video on MiLB.tv via paid subscription.
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