Pelicans Force Game Three with a 3-0 Win over RiverDogs on Thursday Night

By Sam Weiderhaft

With their season on the line, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans shut out the Charleston RiverDogs 3-0 to force a decisive Game Three tomorrow night. It was the Pelicans' first playoff victory since 2016 when they won the championship. With the win, Game Three is set for Friday night at 7:05 p.m. to decide who represents the South Division in the Carolina League championship.

After being held to just one run Tuesday night, the Birds received timely hitting and collected nine hits to score three runs. Pedro Ramirez (1-4, HR, RBI) hit a solo home run to break the scoreless tie in the fourth. Andy Garriola (1-3, 2B, RBI) and Brian Kalmer (1-4, 2B, RBI) each provided RBI doubles in the win. The Pelicans made the most of their opportunities, going 2-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

It was a fantastic game on the mound for the Pelicans’ pitching staff, striking out 17 batters and allowing just four hits. Kevin Valdez (1-0) tossed one of the best relief outings of the season, lasting four innings and striking out nine. Jose Romero earned the save by shutting down Charleston through the final two innings with a pair of strikeouts. Starter Drew Gray stretched three innings without allowing a hit and striking out six.

All four hits for the RiverDogs were singles as leadoff hitter Brayden Taylor (1-3, BB) reached base twice with a single and a walk. Xavier Isaac (0-2, 2 BB) worked a pair of walks in his four plate appearances. Charleston left nine on base and went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

The RiverDogs burned just two arms as Marcus Johnson (0-1) took the loss with two earned runs in his 6 2/3 innings. Johnson struck out seven without walking anybody and gave up seven hits. Reliever Matt Wyatt struck out three but gave up an earned run through his 1 1/3 inning outing.

It was a shaky first inning for Gray, who walked the bases loaded with one out. He went on to strike out Ryan Spikes and got a lineout from Odalys Peguero to end the inning unharmed.

The game stayed scoreless until the fourth when Ramirez came up with one out and hit an opposite-field home run on a line drive to left field that knocked off the first row of bleachers and gave the Birds a 1-0 lead.

Insurance runs came in for Myrtle Beach in the seventh and eighth innings. Jonathon Long led off the bottom of the seventh with a double and scored on Garriola’s double to the wall in left. Garriola was tagged out at third trying to stretch it into a triple.

With two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the eighth, Kalmer flew a double to right-center that scored Jefferson Rojas from second to extend the lead to three.

Romero struck out two and got a groundout to end the game.

The winner of Game Three moves on to take on either the Carolina Mudcats or the Down East Wood Ducks in the championship series. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. from Pelicans Ballpark on Friday night.