Short reaches base six times in 9-2 win

LILLINGTON, N.C. (August 31, 2017) - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans matched a season-high with 17 hits in their 9-2 rubber match victory over the Buies Creek Astros on Thursday afternoon from Jim Perry Stadium.
With the game scoreless through two innings, Myrtle Beach (73-63, 30-36) broke through in the third against Buies Creek (73-62, 36-29) starter Ryan Hartman (2-6). Zack Short kicked off the frame with a walk before advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from Trent Giambrone. Jesse Hodges  drove home the games first run with a one-out single to right field. Following a single from Adonis Paula , Eddy Martinez laced a base hit to left field scoring Hodges to give the Pelicans a 2-0 advantage. 

With a runner on first, Tyler Pearson reached on a fielder's choice to start the Pelicans half of the fifth inning. With two men retired in the frame, the Pelicans racked up three consecutive singles as the third base knock came from Connor Myers  scoring Pearson and Martinez who advanced home on an error to make the score 4-0. 
With Buies Creek reliever Hector Perez on the mound, Short doubled to left field leading off Myrtle Beach's sixth inning. Giambrone followed Short with a single to put runners on the corners before Short was caught stealing trying to advance home on a stolen base attempt from Giambrone who advanced to second on the throw home. Adonis Paula drove home the lone run of the frame with a two-out single to right field extending the Myrtle Beach lead to 5-0. 
With one man retired in the bottom of the sixth inning, Rodrigo Ayarza doubled to left field before scoring on a single from Ronnie Dawson to make the score 5-1. Stephen Wrenn reached on a fielder's choice before back-to-back walks were issued to Yordan Alvarez and Jake Rodgers to load the bases with two-outs. Randy César laced a single to center field scoring Ayarza as Rogers was thrown out at third base to end the inning before Alvarez could score which cut the Myrtle Beach advantage down to 5-2. 
Myrtle Beach's starter Mike Rucker (5-5) hurled six innings and allowed just two runs on four hits. Scott Effross relieved Rucker in the seventh as the right-hander hurled two scoreless frames.
Martinez singled and Machin walked to begin the top of the ninth inning for the Pelicans before both runners advanced into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt from Myers. With two men retired, Short reached for the sixth time in the contest by loading the bases with his third walk of the game. The Birds' lead swelled to 7-2 in the frame on a two-run single from Giambrone. Hodges continued his big day at the plate as he lifted a two-run double down the left field line to give him three RBIs on the day.
With the score 9-2, left-hander Marc Huberman  tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth inning to give the Pelicans a win in their final regular season matchup against Buies Creek. 
Myrtle Beach will begin a four-game set with the Carolina Mudcats on Friday with first pitch at 7 p.m. The Birds will send RHP Duncan Robinson  (4-3, 2.01 ERA) to the mound to oppose RHP Conor Harber (3-9, 5.47). Coverage will begin at 6:45 on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app. 
The 2017 season is the 19th season for the Pelicans franchise and third as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2017, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
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 each of the last six seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last six years and the best in the Carolina League for six straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the two-time defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 and 2016 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made ten postseason appearances behind 12 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season and second half of 2016. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected]