Thompson, big seventh carry Birds to 6-2 win over Wood Ducks

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (June 2, 2018) - Keegan Thompson allowed only one run over his 6.1 innings for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Saturday night in a 6-2 win over the Down East Wood Ducks from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. 
Thompson (3-3) earned the win, allowing just one run over a career-high 6.1 innings while ceding just two hits and striking out four. 

P.J. Higgins blasted a two-run home run, his second on the season, to get the scoring going for the Birds (26-29) in the bottom of the third. 
After the Wood Ducks (30-25) brought the deficit to within one on a sacrifice fly by Charles Leblanc in the seventh, the Pelicans exploded for four runs in the bottom of the seventh. Luis Ayala ripped an RBI single to score Austin Upshaw , who recorded his third straight multi-hit game, making it 3-1 Pelicans. Later in the inning, an error brought in two runs. Higgins then plated his third run of the game with a sacrifice fly to give the Birds a 6-1 advantage. 
The Woodies added a run in the eighth when Franklin Rollin bounced into a fielder's choice, but it was not enough. 
Steven Bruce (1-1) was handed the loss despite only ceding two runs in 5.1 innings for the Wood Ducks. 
The Pelicans will go for the sweep against the Wood Ducks in the finale of the three-game set on Sunday for a 6:05 p.m. first pitch at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. The Birds will send RHP Tyson Miller  (4-4, 3.97 ERA) to the hill while the Woodies will counter with RHP Emerson Martinez (3-4, 4.44 ERA). Television coverage begins on the CW21 and MiLB.tv at 6:00 p.m. while a radio broadcast begins at 5:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.
Ultimate Kids Sunday comes to Pelicans Ballpark with free inflatables, face painting and more, presented by Anderson Brothers Bank.
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. Since being acquired by a group led by Chuck Greenberg during the 2006 season, the Pelicans have repeatedly set team attendance records and become known as one of Minor League Baseball's most innovative and creative franchises. The team and its employees have been dedicated to making a difference in the Myrtle Beach community, specifically giving back over $2 million in donations, fundraising proceeds, in-kind services and community service since launching the Pelicans Play It Forward Community Initiative in 2013. TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark 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. In June 2017, the Pelicans won the 2017 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. On the field, the team has 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 email [email protected].