Paula and Pelicans too much for Mudcats in 8-3 loss at Myrtle Beach

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Myrtle Beach's Adonis Paula went 4-for-4 with two RBIs and starter Duncan Robinson allowed just one run on three hits over five innings while leading Pelicans to a series tying 8-3 victory over the Mudcats at TicketReturn.Com in Myrtle Beach on Saturday night.

Trey Supak started for the Mudcats (57-60, 21-28) and took the loss after allowing three runs on six hits over five innings pitched. He gave up a solo home run in a two run Myrtle Beach (60-58, 17-31) second and allowed one more run in the third before working through a scoreless fourth and fifth. Supak (3-4, 4.83) also walked four and struck out two in the loss.
Jesse Hodges homered off Supak in the second while lifting the Pelicans into their early 1-0 lead. Paula later followed with a RBI single later in the same frame and finished the game going 4-for-4 with a run and two RBIs while batting eighth in the Myrtle Beach lineup.
The Pelicans led 2-0 through the second, but the Mudcats came back with a run in the third while cutting the lead to 2-1. Their lone run in the third was scored by Max McDowell after he led off the frame with a single and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Trent Clark.
Carolina's third inning run was all that Robinson (3-3, 2.34) allowed in his start for the Pelicans. Robinson worked through five innings in Saturday's (three game) series tying victory and allowed just the one run on three hits while walking one and striking out five.
The Pelicans led 3-1 when both Supak and Robinson left the game after the sixth. Conor Harber took over for Supak, while relievers Jordan Minch (1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 SO), David Berg (1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 SO) and Dakota Mekkes (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 SO) all followed Robinson.
Harber began his outing with two quick outs in the sixth, but then went on to allow a two-out single, a RBI double, a walk, another single and lost a run scoring wild pitch in the three run Myrtle Beach sixth. Viamel Machin, Eddy Martinez and Paula each had hits in the sixth for the Pelicans.
Myrtle Beach later tacked on another run in the seventh and then answered Carolina's two run eighth with one more run in the same frame while taking an 8-3 lead before the ninth.
Harber pitched through three innings in the game and allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits. He also walked two, struck out two and allowed two runs to score via two wild pitches in his outing.
Carolina's two run eighth came against Berg and included a leadoff hit from Clark and a RBI single from Lucas Erceg.
The Mudcats finished Saturday's loss just 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and left six men on. The Pelicans, meanwhile, were 6-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. They also had a four hit game from Paula and a 2-for-3 with two runs night from Robert Garcia.
UP NEXT: The Mudcats and Pelicans will conclude the three game series on Sunday night beginning at 6:05 p.m. at TicketReturn.Com Field in Myrtle Beach. The game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com via TuneIn Radio. It will also stream via live video at MiLB.tv. 
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