Leal pitches Birds to doubleheader split

ZEBULON, N.C. (July 24, 2018) - Erick Leal struck out eight over five innings of one-hit ball Tuesday to help the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to a doubleheader split with the Carolina Mudcats from Five County Stadium. The Birds dropped the opener 5-4 before taking the finale 2-0.
In the finale, Leal (1-1) yielded only a two-out double to Demi Orimoloye in the first inning. After that, the right-hander cruised en route to his first win of the season. Jose Paulino worked the finale two frames for his second save.

The Pelicans (47-55, 13-19) did not need much offense to back Leal. Jose Gutierrez jumpstarted the third inning with a single before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Jhonny Pereda singled him in against Carolina (51-50, 17-14) starter Conor Harber (4-5) for the game's first run.
The score remained 1-0 until the seventh inning. Gutierrez walked and moved up to third two hitters later on Aramis Ademan's double. After Pereda flew out, Jared Young brought in a run with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
In the opener, Wladimir Galindo started a scoreless fifth with a double. A walk and an error loaded the bases before Galindo was thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch. Nevertheless, Roberto Caro rocketed an RBI single for the game's first run. 
Carolina wound up tying the game in the sixth. Weston Wilson reached on an error to begin the frame. After a ground out moved him to second, consecutive singles by Dallas Carroll and Ryan Aguilar, who notched his on a bunt, knotted the score at one.
Caro blasted a two-run home run in the seventh to put Myrtle Beach ahead again. However, the Mudcats mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh. Orimoloye singled before Wilson doubled him to second. Cooper Hummel's two-run single then tied the game at three.
In the top of the eighth inning, Yeiler Peguero's sacrifice fly against reliever Luke Barker (5-3) placed the Pelicans in front again. 
However, in the bottom of the eighth, Dustin Houle doubled with one out to plate Carroll, who had started the inning on second. Following a single and intentional walk, Devin Hairston registered a walk-off single to center off Tyler Peyton (2-3) to win the game for the Mudcats at 5-4.
The Pelicans and Mudcats play at 11 a.m. on Wednesday. RHP Erich Uelmen (3-2, 4.09 ERA) starts for the Birds against Carolina RHP Victor Diaz (5-6, 4.68 ERA). Coverage begins at 10:45 a.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.
The 2018 season is the 20th season for the Pelicans franchise and fourth as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For tickets visit MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/tickets, call (843) 918-6000, or visit the Pelicans Box Office.
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. Since being acquired by a group led by Chuck Greenberg during the 2006 season, the Pelicans have repeatedly set team attendance records and become known as one of Minor League Baseball's most innovative and creative franchises. The team and its employees have been dedicated to making a difference in the Myrtle Beach community, specifically giving back over $2 million in donations, fundraising proceeds, in-kind services and community service since launching the Pelicans Play It Forward Community Initiative in 2013. TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in six of the last seven seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences and the best in the Carolina League for six of the past seven seasons. In June 2017, the Pelicans won the 2017 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. On the field, the team has won four Mills Cup Championships, including claims to back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2015 and 2016. The Pelicans have made 11 postseason appearances behind 13 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, second half of 2016 and first half of 2017. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or email [email protected].