Pitching Shines on Both Sides as Pelicans Drop Series Opener to GreenJackets 5-2

By Sam Weiderhaft

Both the Myrtle Beach Pelicans and Augusta GreenJackets carried no-hitters into the sixth inning but the visitors prevailed as the Birds dropped the opening game 5-2 on Tuesday night. The loss slipped the Pelicans’ record to 10-17 while the GreenJackets improved to 13-14.

Ty Johnson recorded the most strikeouts by a Pelicans’ pitcher this season with nine as he held the GreenJackets hitless through his four innings. After Vince Reilly kept Augusta hitless, Garrett Brown (1-1) sacrificed three earned runs in 1 1/3 innings to take the loss off two hits and three walks while committing three errors on pickoff attempts to first.

Christian Olivo (1-3) broke up the Augusta no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out single. Cristian Hernandez (0-4, RBI) picked up the only RBI with a groundout in the ninth. The Birds struck out 11 times in the loss.

Riley Frey (3-0) lasted a career-long seven shutout innings to take the win with just two hits and a walk allowed with seven strikeouts. The seven-inning outing is the longest by a Carolina League pitcher this season. Adam Shoemaker closed out the final two innings with two runs, one earned allowed.

Jace Grady (1-4, 2 RBI) knocked in a pair of runs with a single in the eighth inning. Will Verdung III (1-3, RBI) broke up the Pelicans’ no-hitter with a single in the seventh and brought home one run on a sacrifice fly in the five-run eighth.

Both pitching staffs dominated through the six innings before the GreenJackets put two on base in the top of the seventh. With runners on first and second Kade Kern grounded to second as Hernandez stepped on the bag and threw to first for two outs. With Drew Compton lingering off third base, first baseman Miguel Pabon threw over to third and Chris Paciolla put on the tag as the Pelicans turned the rare triple play.

The GreenJackets packed all of their runs into the eighth inning. With runners on the corners, Brown tried to pickoff the runner on first but the throw went wild as the runner from third scored for the game’s first run. Grady hit a two-run single later in the inning to extend the lead to 3-0. With the bases loaded, new pitcher Francis Reynoso threw a wild pitch as the runner from third scored. Verdung capped off the inning with a sacrifice fly as Augusta left the frame with a 5-0 lead.

Myrtle Beach broke up the shutout with a two-run ninth. A wild pitch by Shoemaker scored a run and Hernandez grounded to short to bring home the second.

The Pelicans and GreenJackets will meet for the second game of the series on Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m.