Myrtle Beach, SC - After blowing a narrow lead in the bottom of the ninth, the Wilmington Blue Rocks earned a rare extra-inning win in their series opener against the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Friday night, 5-3 in 11 innings. The Blue Rocks won for just the third time in 10 extra-inning affairs this season. Brad McCann doubled in a pair of runs in the top of the 11th inning to provide the Rocks' margin for victory, while former Pelican Arthur Santos fired a scoreless inning of relief to bolt down his second save, securing the win. A victory that improved Wilmington to a league-best 12-4 on the second half, and back to the .500 mark overall this season at 42-42, the first time the Rocks have tasted .500 ball since June 2 when they were 27-27.A triple and a wild pitch prompted the extra baseball. Wilmington's Russ Haltiwanger (4-3) started the bottom of the ninth inning with a 3-2 lead, but Matt Young hit his first pitch of the frame into the right-center field gap for a triple. During the subsequent at-bat, Haltiwanger fired a wild pitch that scored Young, tying the game, 3-3, for a blown save.
Haltiwanger would rebound, setting down the side in order in the 10th inning after Wilmington's batters did the same. In the 11th, the Blue Rocks' rally started with an error by the No. 2 overall prospect in the Atlanta Braves system according to Baseball America, shortstop Elvis Andrus. Marc Maddox hit a one-out grounder to Andrus that was fielded cleanly, but his throw to first sailed high and into the stands, putting Maddox at second base.
Pelicans manager Rocket Wheeler elected to have closer Kevin Gunderson (2-4) intentionally walk Kiel Thibault to set up a double play with Brad McCann due up. The older brother of former Pelicans sensation and current Atlanta Braves All-Star Brian McCann responded by bombing a double into the right-center gap that scored both runners for a 5-3 lead. The Myrtle Beach connection continued when 2006 Pelicans reliever Arthur Santos, now a Blue Rock, allowed just a two-out walk in a scoreless bottom of the 11th for his second save.
Earlier in the night, Wilmington shortstop Chris McConnell hit his second home run of the season in the fourth inning, a two-out, two-run line drive shot to left for a 3-1 lead. The Blue Rocks would hold a lead from that point forward, until Young's ninth-inning equalizer.
Game two of the series will be played on Saturday night. Right-hander Dan Cortes (1-5, 4.23) coming off his first win of the season will face southpaw Johnny Venters (1-3, 3.36) with first pitch at 7:05 p.m.
GAME NOTES:
The Blue Rocks have gone 3-1 through four games on their six-game road trip.
A win on Saturday night would guarantee Wilmington's third straight series win. A feat the Blue Rocks have not accomplished in nearly two months.
The Carolina League's leader in strikeouts entering the night added to his total as Wilmington's Miguel Vega took a golden sombrero with an 0-for-6 showing at the place including four strikeouts. Vega has struck out 85 times in 76 games this season.
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