Birds Route RiverDogs 15-2 on Friday Night

By Sam Weiderhaft

After a 10-run performance on Thursday night, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans followed that up with a 15-2 crushing of the Charleston RiverDogs for their fourth consecutive win of the series. With the win, the Pelicans clinch their second series victory of the year. Their record improved to 11-7 while Charleston dropped to 6-13.

On a night that saw 14 hits, Cristian More (2-4, 3 RBI, BB) reached base four times and drove in three in his Single-A debut. Felix Stevens (1-5, HR, 2 RBI) and Miguel Fabrizio (3-4, 2 RBI, BB) each brought home two. Reivaj Garcia (3-4, RBI, BB) smashed three singles from the lead-off spot with a run brought home. The 15 runs are the most in a game for the Pelicans this season.

For the first time this season, a starting pitcher for the win for Myrtle Beach as Nick Hull (2-0) went five innings with two runs, one earned for his second win of the year. Hull sacrificed a pair of hits and two while striking out two. Kevin Valdez locked it down out of the bullpen with three shutout frames and four strikeouts.

The RiverDogs’ lineup collected just three hits with both RBI coming from Jhon Diaz (0-2, 2 RBI). Chandler Simpson (1-3, 2B, BB) was the only Charleston player with an extra-base hit. The RiverDogs went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Five different pitchers saw time on the mound for the RiverDogs with starter Yoniel Curet (0-1) walking six and giving up just one hit, but allowing five earned runs to cross the plate all in the top of the third. Duncan Davitt also sacrificed seven runs, five earned in his one inning in relief.

Five runs in the top of the third pushed the Pelicans to an early lead. After the Pelicans loaded the bases on walks, Ballesteros drew another walk with one out to bring the first run home. Stevens followed with a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Cristian More from third. After loading the bases again, Garriola drew the sixth walk of the inning to put the Birds up 3-0. Fabrizio came up and lined a single to right that scored two for a 5-0 advantage.

Charleston responded by getting one run back in the bottom half. With Cristopher Barete on third, Diaz grounded out to second as Barete crossed home for an RBI groundout.

Diaz brought home his second run on a sacrifice fly to left with a Barete at third to bring the score to 5-2 Myrtle Beach.

The game broke wide open in the top of the seventh with five runs scored for Myrtle Beach. With runners on first and second, Fabrizio reached on a fielding error at second by Cooper Kinney. Pedro Ramirez followed with an RBI single and moved to second on a fielding error by Barete in right to put runners on second and third. More brought both home on a grounder to right that got through for a single for an 11-2 Myrtle Beach lead. More moved over to third on a wild pitch and a single by Reivaj Garcia and later scored on another wild pitch to push the Pelicans' lead to 10 runs. All five runs scored with no outs on the board.

With RiverDogs’ catcher Julio Meza on the mound, the Pelicans brought home two more in the top of the eighth. After three straight singles to load the bases, More rolled a single up the middle to score Rafael Morel. Garcia followed with a sacrifice fly to center that brought in Fabrizio to make it 14-2 Myrtle Beach.

Stevens took Meza deep to left field for a solo home run in the top of the ninth for the finishing touch as the Pelicans wrapped up their 15-2 victory.