Pelicans fall due to defensive miscues despite Alamo's homer

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (May 12, 2018) - The Buies Creek Astros used five unearned runs in the first two innings to down the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday night 9-3 from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. 
While it was a tough start for Myrtle Beach (14-22) starter Jose Paulino (0-5) in the loss, his defense did not help him out. Alfredo Angarita reached on an error to begin the game and he was plated by Abraham Toro's RBI double to make it 1-0 Buies Creek (22-14).

In the second, the Astros sent nine men up to the plate and scored four more. Carlos Canelon plated a run with an RBI single before Angarita bounced into a fielder's choice to score another. Ronnie Dawson laced a run-scoring double and Toro smashed an RBI single to give the Astros an early 5-0 advantage. 
The Pelicans found the scoreboard in the third inning on an RBI single by Connor Myers , who finished 3-for-5, and tacked on another run with a sacrifice fly from Vimael Machin . 
The two tallies from the Birds were immediately countered by three more from Buies Creek in the fourth inning. Toro reached on an error that scored a run to start the scoring in the frame and Ozvaldo Duarte hit a two-run single to give the Astros a 8-2 lead. 
The Pelicans allowed six unearned runs on four errors.
The two teams traded runs in the sixth. Following another RBI single from Duarte in the top of the inning, Tyler Alamo ripped a solo shot, hit team-high sixth home run on the season. 
Carson LaRue (2-1) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits over 5.1 innings. Kit Scheetz pick up his third save on the season by tossing 3.2 scoreless innings to finish the game. 
Outfielder Daniel Spingola  made his minor league debut on the mound in the ninth inning and threw a scoreless frame despite walking two batters.
The Pelicans will see the Buies Creek Astros on Sunday at 6:05 p.m. for the finale of the four-game set. The Birds will send RHP Keegan Thompson  (1-2, 3.56 ERA) against the Astros' RHP Brandon Bailey (0-3, 4.74 ERA). Television coverage begins at locally on the CW21 and on MiLB.tv at 6:00 p.m. while audio coverage begins at 5:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app. 
Sunday is both Thirsty Sunday and Ultimate Kids Sunday thanks to Anderson Brothers Bank featuring $1 drafts, $2 16 oz. cans and half-off Duplin Wine from 6 to 8 p.m. 
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. The park 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 as well. In June 2017, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2017 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans have 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 emailing [email protected].