Myrtle Beach's reign ends in 2-1 loss

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (September 8, 2017) - Willson Contreras reached base three times Friday in the Myrtle Beach Pelicans' 2-1 loss to the Down East Wood Ducks, clinching the Woodies' first Mills Cup Championship at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. 
With the game tied at tied at one in the top of the third inning, Down East (2-0) center fielder Matt Lipka launched his second solo home run of the series over the left field wall off Myrtle Beach (0-2) right-hander Alec Mills (0-1) to give the Woodies a 2-1 lead. 

Down East starter Brett Martin allowed one earned run over 2.2 innings. The left-handed then ceded to Emerson Martinez (1-0), Jeffery Springs and Scott Williams, who combined to throw 4.1 shutout frames to lead the Wood Ducks to their first-ever Mills Cup Championship in their inaugural season.
Myrtle Bech kicked off the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Zack Short led off the frame with a double to left field before advancing to third on a single from Contreras. Short scored the games first run on a double play that gave the Pelicans a 1-0 advantage. 
With one out in the top of the second inning, Preston Scott doubled to left field before advancing home on an error to tie the game at one. 
Mills yielded just two runs, one earned, on six hits in six innings in the loss. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
The Pelicans season came to an end on Friday night, as the club finished the season with their seventh straight playoff appearance, which ties a Carolina League record. 
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].