Long’s Walk-Off Homer Sends Pelicans to 3-2 Victory over Cannon Ballers

Myrtle Beach has won back-to-back games on walk-offs

(Larry Kave/Myrtle Beach Pelicans)

August 23, 2023

By Sam Weiderhaft Down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on, Jonathon Long lifted a two-run home run to left field to give the Myrtle Beach Pelicans a 3-2 win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the second game of the series. Both wins for Myrtle

By Sam Weiderhaft

Down 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on, Jonathon Long lifted a two-run home run to left field to give the Myrtle Beach Pelicans a 3-2 win over the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in the second game of the series. Both wins for Myrtle Beach this week have been on walk-offs, following Miguel Pabon’s sacrifice fly in the 10^th last night. The win pushed the Birds to a 67-48 record and 28-22 in the second half, while the Cannon Ballers dropped to 59-56 and 24-26 in the second half.

Long (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) finished with a multi-hit game following his four-hit game last night. It was the first walk-off home run for the Pelicans since May 16, 2021, when Matt Mervis hit a three-run walk-off homer against the Augusta GreenJackets. Leonel Espinoza (1-3, RBI) brought home the other run on a single in the second inning. Long’s home run was the only extra-base hit for the Pelicans as they won their second straight game when trailing after eight innings.

In a much more controlled night on the mound, Sam Armstrong (1-0) grabbed his first win with a scoreless top of the ninth with two strikeouts. Starter Jackson Ferris struck out five and allowed one run through four innings and Scarlyn Lebron followed with four one-run innings with four punchouts. The Pelicans walked just four all night.

Jordan Sprinkle (1-4, HR, RBI) hit a solo home run in the top of the sixth inning to put Kannapolis in front. Chris Lanzilli (1-4, RBI) brought home a run with a single in the first inning. Kannapolis ended with five hits and went just 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Connor Pellerin (0-2) gave up the walk-off homer and took the loss after throwing one full inning. Connery Peters was impressive out of the bullpen with two shutout frames and three strikeouts. Starter Aldrin Batista stretched five innings with one earned run and three strikeouts.

The Cannon Ballers scored in the first inning for the second game in a row. With a runner on second, Lanzilli lined a single up the middle to score the run and put the Kannapolis up 1-0.

The Pelicans responded in the bottom of the second as Espinoza sent a grounder up the middle that scored Kalmer from second to tie the game.

After a scoreless stretch for both teams, Sprinkle hit his second home run of the year on a solo shot in the top of the sixth to left field, putting the Cannon Ballers up 2-1.

Myrtle Beach started their rally as Kalmer led off the bottom of the ninth with a walk. Long followed by lifting a 3-1 pitch over the wall in left to end the game and give the Pelicans a 3-2 win.

The Pelicans and Cannon Ballers are set to meet in game three of the series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.