Pelicans and Cannon Ballers Trade Shutouts in Wednesday’s Doubleheader

By Sam Weiderhaft

In a rare Wednesday doubleheader, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Kannapolis Cannon Ballers split the day with the Cannon Ballers winning 5-0 in game one and the Pelicans rallying back to win game two 7-0. With the split, the Pelicans stand at 29-36 while the Cannon Ballers post a 40-25 record.

Game One: Despite outhitting the Cannon Ballers 5-2, the Pelicans were shutout 5-0. Drew Bowser 2-3, 2B) finished with a multi-hit game including a double to lead the offense. The Birds left five on base and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.

Marino Santy (1-2) struck out eight but allowed four runs, three earned in his four frames to take the loss. Kenyi Perez closed out the final two with one earned run off four walks while striking out five.

Wilber Sanchez (1-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB) provided the big blow with a two-run homer in the fifth to stretch the lead to 4-0. He brought home another on a walk in the bottom of the sixth.

Kannapolis starter Manuel Veloz (1-0) struck out nine through five scoreless innings while not allowing a walk to take the win. Connery Peters struck out three across the final two innings to close the game out.

Game Two: The Birds’ pitching dominated by holding the Cannon Ballers to just three hits in a 7-0 victory. Starter Yenrri Rojas (2-1) claimed the win with five shutout innings and four strikeouts. Vince Reilly struck out three batters and did not allow a hit in the final two frames.

The Pelicans’ offense smacked two triples as Carter Trice (2-4, 3B, 2 RBI) brought home the first run on a second-inning triple and Jacob Wetzel (1-1, 3B, RBI, 2 BB) brought home another in the sixth with a triple. Reggie Preciado (1-3, 2 RBI, BB) scored a pair of runs in the four-run second to make it a 4-0 game.

Starter Jake Peppers (3-4) took the loss after sacrificing four earned runs in just two innings of work with five hits and two walks allowed. All seven runs given up by the Cannon Ballers were earned.

Caden Connor (1-3, 2B) had the only extra-base hit for Kannapolis with a double. The Cannon Ballers stranded five and went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

Both teams meet on Thursday night to finish the first half at 7:00 p.m.