Ray & Stokes go back-to-back in 9-3 loss

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Corey Ray and Troy Stokes Jr. hit back-to-back home runs in the third and Freddy Peralta struck out seven over five innings, but the Mudcats committed four errors and lost a 3-1 lead in the sixth while losing 9-3 to the Pelicans on Thursday night in Myrtle Beach.

The series opening loss dropped Carolina (32-27) to 2.5 games back of the Pelicans (35-25) for first place in the Carolina League Southern Division standings. 
Peralta struck out seven, walked one and allowed just one unearned run while starting for the Mudcats. He left with a 3-1 lead in the seventh, but the Pelicans rallied back with a four run sixth against reliever Quintin Torres-Costa while taking their first lead of the night.
Torres-Costa (5-2, 4.67) allowed three hits and was charged with a throwing error in the game changing sixth. He worked through just two outs in the inning and eventually left after throwing 23 pitches. Conor Harber eventually finished the frame, but the Pelicans managed to take a 5-3 lead.
Eloy Jiménez started the Myrtle Beach sixth with a leadoff single and was joined on the bases a few pitches later when Torres-Costa hit Eddy Martinez with a pitch. Tyler Alamo then followed with a come backer to the mound, but Torres-Costa missed wide with his throw to first and the resulting error allowed Jimenez to score. The Mudcats were still up 3-2 after the error, but Jesse Hodges followed with a three-run homer and Myrtle Beach took their first lead of the game at 5-3.
The Pelicans led 5-3 after the sixth, but then added two more with help of two Carolina errors in the seventh before taking a 9-3 lead on a two-run home run from Jimenez in the eighth.
Hodges was 1-for-2 with three RBIs and two walks, Jimenez was 3-for-4 with three runs, two RBIs and a two-run home run for the Pelicans. 
Harber originally entered the game in the sixth following Torres-Costa and went on to finish the game for the Mudcats. He struck out one, allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits and walked two over the final two and 1/3 innings.
Adbert Alzolay started for the Pelicans and allowed the home runs to Ray and Stokes in the third. Alzolay only worked through four innings on Thursday and finished with three walks, three runs allowed on three hits and struck out eight. 
Scott Effross (2-1, 5.81) followed Alzolay and struck out two over two scoreless while earning the win. Tommy Thorpe pitched the seventh and eighth and struck out five over his two scoreless frames and Marc Huberman finished the game with two strikeouts in the ninth.
The Mudcats combined to strikeout 17 times and where held to just two hits after the fourth in the four game series, series opening loss.
UP NEXT: The four game set will continue on Friday night in Myrtle Beach with the first pitched scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Jordan Yamamoto (0-0, 3.05) will start for the Mudcats in game two, while Thomas Hatch (1-5, 4.53) will go for the Pelicans. Friday's game will air on the Mudcats Radio Network, The Big Dawg 98.5 FM and online at carolinamudcats.com.
# # #