CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Keys shake Pelicans, snap Birds winning streak

June 29, 2006 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC - A near capacity crowd of 4,455 waited patiently for over two hours to watch the Myrtle Beach Pelicans home opener in the second half kick off. After the thunderstorms disappeared and the tarp was cleared the Frederick Keys spoiled the Birds "Re-Opening Night," taking game one of the three-game set, 6-5. Kala Ka'aihue smacked his first home run as a Pelican and his 16th overall this year, but it wasn't enough as the Keys held on to win the soggy contest.

Ka'aihue put the Pelicans on top with his blast in the bottom of the 4th inning. With 2B J.C. Holt at second base after leading off the inning with a double, "K.K." hammered a deep drive over the left field fence, giving the Pelicans a 2-0 lead. The power-hitting Hawaiian hit 15 home runs in A-Rome during the first half before joining the Pelicans on their recent road trip.

Frederick got on the scoreboard in the top of the 5th and cut into the Pelicans early advantage. The Keys pulled to within a run, 2-1, when RF Jarod Rine doubled into right-centerfield, which knocked in 3B Tripper Johnson who reached on an error earlier in the inning. Rine's double was the first hit of the night for the Keys against Pelicans starter James Parr.

An inning later things would get out of control as the Keys plated five runs and took a sizable, 6-2, lead. Back-to-back singles from SS Jonathan Tucker and 2B Pete Maestrales along with a walk drawn by CF Nolan Reimold loaded the bases with no outs. Parr exited the ballgame with the bases loaded and made way for reliever Ralph Roberts who gave up an RBI single to 1B Mario Delgado, walked LF Jason Fransz with the bases loaded, allowed a run to come across on a sacrifice fly to right courtesy of DH Sandy Madera, and let up a two-run homer to Johnson, which capped off the flurry of runs. The five-run frame would prove to be too much for the Pelicans to overcome, although they would stage a late rally to make things interesting.

In the bottom of the 8th RF Steven Doetsch tripled into the right-centerfield gap, which brought across C Clint Sammons who led the inning off with a single into right. Doetsch would then come across the dish when SS Jaime Trejo rattled a single into right field, making the score 6-4. Myrtle Beach would make it a one-run game, 6-5, when Ka'aihue drove in his third run of the night on a fielder's choice, but that's as close as the Pelicans would come.

Parr (L, 3-5) didn't give up a hit until the 5th inning and struck out six, including the side in the 2nd inning, but the five-run 5th was his poison in a losing effort. Parr allowed four runs, three earned, to score on just three hits, but walked a season-high four in the loss. Relievers Stephen Russell, Joey Devine, and Devin Anderson combined to toss the final three-innings in impressive one-hit, scoreless fashion. Frederick starter Luis Ramirez (W, 4-6) earned his third win of the year against the Pelicans thanks to six strong innings that saw him allow a pair of runs on three hits. He also struck out seven and walked one in the win. Closer Jim Hoey (S, 2) logged a save by tossing a scoreless 9th.

The Pelicans were paced at the plate by Sammons who went 2-4 and scored a run, while Ka'aihue finished the evening 1-4 with three RBI and a homer in his first game at Coastal Federal Field. Holt extended his hitting streak to five straight games with a 1-4 effort.

On Friday night the Pelicans square off against the Keys in game two of the three-game series at 7:02 pm. On Saturday night it's the 3rd Annual Pops at the Park event with live music from the Liverpool Legends, a thrilling Independence Day style postgame fireworks show, plus Pelicans baseball. For tickets please call 843-918-6000 or purchase tickets online at myrtlebeachpelicans.com.

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Carolina League Stories from June 29, 2006


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