MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The longest game in Down East history ended on a bright note for the Wood Ducks in a 4-3 victory over Myrtle Beach on Wednesday night. In the final nine innings of the contest, the Woodies' pitching staff held the Pelicans scoreless. Josh Altmann also tied
MYRTLE BEACH, SC - The longest game in Down East history ended on a bright note for the Wood Ducks in a 4-3 victory over Myrtle Beach on Wednesday night. In the final nine innings of the contest, the Woodies' pitching staff held the Pelicans scoreless. Josh Altmann also tied a career-high in hits with four.
The game was also rather odd and sloppy for the Wood Ducks, committing more errors than RBIs in the victory. Four errors set a new high for the season while Eduard Pinto and Josh Morgan were the only batters with RBIs.
Pinto scored in the first after leading off the game with a double, later scoring on a Morgan groundout. The double would be the only extra-base hit of the game for the Woodies.
With runners on the corners in the second, Carlos Arroyo grounded into a double play but Altmann scored from third so the Woodies could lead 2-0. Kyle Miller would not allow another run in the last two innings of his spot start. Oscar De La Cruz was a late scratch before first pitch for the Pelicans.
Emerson Martinez did not allow a hit through the first three innings of the game against the Pelican bats but they tagged him for five hits and three runs in the frame. While the fourth was rocky to give up the lead, Martinez would only allow two more base runners in his six innings of work.
Down East had a chance to tie things in the fifth when Morgan knocked a single up the middle with Ledarious Clark on second. Robert Garcia's throw beat Clark to the plate and PJ Higgins tagged Clark on the leg for the final out of the inning.
Tyler Sanchez reached with one out in the seventh on a dropped third strike from Pedro Araujo. Jairo Beras entered to run for Sanchez and promptly stole second base - one of a season-high seven in the game for the Wood Ducks. Pinto lined a single up the middle to score Beras and tie the game at 3-3.
Frank Lopez worked a scoreless seventh in his return to the Wood Ducks from AAA Round Rock. He allowed the first two runners to reach in the eighth, and Scott Williams entered to relieve him. The righty struck out Eddy Martinez for the first out, next Tyler Alamo lined out to third, and finally Jesse Hodges flied out to center to end the inning.
Both teams went down scoreless in the ninth to embark on extra-innings. Williams flipped a zero on the board in the 10th for his final inning of relief. The Woodies had a runner on base in each of the first four extra innings.
Adam Choplick worked innings 11-13 and only allowed two base runners of his own (a hit and a walk). He also collected four strikeouts while tying his career-high in innings with three.
In the 14th, the Woodies broke through with Beras on third and one out. Arturo Lara was at the plate for his first at-bat of the game since coming in off the bench and he dribbled a grounder toward short. Monasterio fielded the ball cleanly but threw it away to allow Bears to score.
Ricardo Rodríguez entered for the 14th and fired his sixth consecutive 1-2-3 inning over his last six appearances. The effort also locked down Rodriguez's eighth save in as many tries.
Game two of the series is slated for 7:05 p.m. with lefty Wes Benjamin on the hill. Another southpaw will counter him in Ryan Kellogg for the Pelicans. You can listen to every pitch of the 2017 season live on Sports/Talk 960 The Bull or streamed live on the TuneIn Radio app.
