Frederick downs sloppy Myrtle Beach in series opener

FREDERICK, Md. (July 7, 2017) - Eddy Martinez homered Friday, but the Myrtle Beach Pelicans made four costly errors in an 8-3 loss to the Frederick Keys at NYMEO Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
Making his High-A debut, Myrtle Beach (48-37, 5-10) starter Duncan Robinson (0-1) yielded a one-out double in the first inning to Ryan Mountcastle. Ademar Rifaela then knocked Mountcastle in with an RBI single, his first of four hits, to make it 1-0 Frederick (36-47, 5-9).

The score would remain that way until the fourth inning. Robinson walked Shane Hoelscher to begin the frame. Two batters later, an Alex Murphy single coupled with two Pelicans errors on the same play brought in Hoelscher to make it 2-0. Glynn Davis then drove in Murphy with a single to pad the lead at 3-0.
Randolph Gassaway singled to start the fifth. A Hoelscher single and another Birds error brought in Gassaway to make it 4-0. Yermin Mercedes followed with an RBI single before Murphy drilled a two-run home run to widen the margin to 7-0.
Keys starter Ofelky Peralta (2-7) surrendered just one hit in five innings to earn the win. He worked around five walks with six strikeouts.
In the sixth, Jay Gonzalez led off with a double. Two batters later, Rifaela cashed in another RBI single to bring the tally to 8-0.
Myrtle Beach finally broke a 16-inning scoreless streak in the eighth. Eloy Jiménez singled to jumpstart the frame. Martinez then blasted a two-run homer to left to get the Birds on the board at 8-2.
Frederick reliever Zeke McGranahan walked both Zack Short and Robert Garcia to begin the ninth. A Bryant Flete single loaded the bases with nobody out before an error brought in Short to pull the Pelicans to within 8-3. The Keys brought in Tanner Chleborad, who struck out Jimenez and induced Tyler Alamo into a 6-4-3 double play to end the ballgame and earn his eighth save.
The Pelicans' 5-10 start to the second half matches the 2015 squad for the worst start to a second half in recorded club history (through the 2005 season).
RHP Thomas Hatch (3-7, 3.43 ERA) makes the start for Myrtle Beach in Saturday's 6 p.m. contest against Frederick LHP Keegin Akin (6-5, 3.51 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.
The 2017 season is the 19th season for the Pelicans franchise and third as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2017, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last six seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last six years and the best in the Carolina League for six straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the two-time defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 and 2016 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made ten postseason appearances behind 12 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season and second half of 2016. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].