CarL Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Bats, Gloves Cold as Pelicans Fall to RiverDogs 7-2

Published on April 9, 2022 under Carolina League (CarL)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


Off just three hits, the Charleston RiverDogs continued their hot opening weekend with a 7-2 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on a chilly Saturday night. The win pushed Charleston up to 2-0 to start the campaign, while Myrtle Beach fell to 0-2.

With the temperature below 50°, the bats were cold for both sides and the early-season mistakes were plentiful in the second game of the season. The two teams combined for just seven hits but put nine runs on the board. The Pelicans tallied two errors to bring their total for the weekend up to five, while the RiverDogs committed three in their victory.

James Triantos (1-3, 2B, BB) collected his first hit of the season for the Birds with a double in his first at-bat. Miguel Fabrizio (0-4, RBI) posted the only RBI of the game for the Pelicans after reaching on an error in the eighth inning. As a team, the Pelicans went 0-9 with runners in scoring position while leaving seven runners on base.

The loss went to Frankie Scalzo Jr. (0-1) after he allowed three runs with one earned in his three innings pitched. Scalzo also struck out a career-high six batters while allowing just two hits. Pelicans starter Luke Little opened the first two innings of the ballgame with three strikeouts and just one walk allowed.

For the second game in a row, Dru Baker (1-3, 2 R, RBI, BB) was behind the Charleston offensive success as the centerfielder tallied his fourth hit and fourth RBI of the opening weekend. Willy Vasquez (1-4, RBI) and Oneill Manzueta (1-2, RBI, BB) accounted for the other hits and RBIs on the RiverDogs scorecard.

The RiverDogs received three scoreless frames from starter Logan Workman as the right-hander struck out six with no walks and three hits allowed. The win went to Patrick Wicklander (1-0) with his three innings in relief of one-hit baseball and another six punchouts.

After three scoreless frames, the Pelicans surrendered their first run in the bottom of the fourth as Baker led off with a walk and later stole second base. With Bobby Seymour at the plate, Baker took off for third. Scalzo spun around on the rubber and caught Baker in between second and third but was called for a balk. Vasquez lined a single to right to bring Baker home and put the RiverDogs up 1-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Gionti Turner led off by reaching base after Triantos sailed his throw from third to first. Manzueta tripled to right to bring home Turner for the first run of the inning. After Ryan Spikes struck out, Scalzo threw a wild pitch to bring another run home and extend the Charleston lead to 3-0.

The RiverDogs scored for the third consecutive inning with one more in the sixth. Baker started off the inning with his fourth hit of the weekend with a single up the middle. He tallied his second stolen base of the game by taking second and moved to third on a wild pitch by Jose Miguel Gonzalez. After a Seymour walk and back-to-back strikeouts by Gonzalez, Charleston had runners on the corners with two outs. Seymour stole second base and Pelicans catcher Malcom Quintero turned to throw out Baker at third. His throw was too low and skipped into left field as Baker scored and the RiverDogs added one more to make it 4-0. It was the fifth Myrtle Beach error of the weekend.

The scoring streak continued with three more runs for the home team in the seventh. Gonzalez walked the bases loaded and threw his second wild pitch to score Michael Berglund and move everybody up. Tyler Santana come on in relief and retired the first batter he faced on a Baker groundout to short, but Manzueta came across to score. The Pelicans sacrificed another run from a passed ball that scored Spikes to make it a 7-0 game.

Myrtle Beach's scoring drought ended with two runs coming across in the top of the eighth. Quintero, Triantos, and Reginald Preciado all reached on walks to load the bases with one out. Fabrizio stepped up and rolled a fast grounder to third that went between the legs of Vasquez to score two runs.

The Pelicans went down in order in the top of the ninth to leave the final at 7-2. Myrtle Beach and Charleston will play in the final game of the series on Sunday at 5:05 p.m.

Check out the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Statistics

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Carolina League Stories from April 9, 2022


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