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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Birds Blow Lead in Ninth, Fall in 11

August 23, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - The Pelicans suffered one of their most gut-wrenching losses of the season on Tuesday, an 8-4 11-inning defeat at the hands of the Lynchburg Hillcats. The Birds led by a run in the top of the ninth, but Lynchburg evened the score and robbed Myrtle Beach of a walk-off win in the bottom of the inning before rallying for four runs in the 11th to win the series opener.

Myrtle Beach led 4-3 in the ninth, but Andrelton Simmons singled to lead off the frame against Ryan Kelly (BS, 4). A botched pitchout resulted in a wild pitch that sent Simmons to second with nobody out. Todd Cunningham moved the runner up on a groundout before Joe Leonard sent a fly ball deep enough to center field to bring home the tying run.

The game was nearly won in the bottom of the ninth when the Pelicans loaded the bases on three walks. Mike Olt scorched a line drive that was ticketed for right field, but first baseman and former Pelican Gerry Rodriguez made a spectacular diving catch to send the game to extra innings.

In the 11th, Ryan Rodebaugh (1-1) gave up a single and a walk to start the inning before a blown pickoff throw sent the runners up a base. After a foul pop out and an intentional walk to load the bases, Joe Leonard cranked a ground-rule double to put the Hillcats ahead 6-4. Christian Bethancourt followed with a two-run single to break the game open before Ryan Buchter (2-5) put the Birds down quietly to close out the win.

Lynchburg, who holds the worst record in the Carolina League, has split eight games with the Pelicans in Myrtle Beach and has won 8 of the last 15 head-to-head games.

The Pelicans scored in the first inning for the third straight night when Ryan Strausborger doubled, went to third on Travis Adair's bunt single and came home on Jared Prince's sacrifice fly.

The visitors tied the game in the second inning against Birds starter Wilfredo Boscan with consecutive two-out singles by Shawn McGill, Marcus Lemon and Gerry Rodriguez. Myrtle Beach bounced back in the bottom half of the frame when Jared Hoying walked, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Santiago Chirino's single.

The Birds added another run in the fourth on Adair's single that plated Chirino and one more in the fifth when Vinny DiFazio lifted a sacrifice fly that brought in Andrew Clark.

Left-hander Dimasther Delgado left the game with nobody out in the fifth with an injury. In four-plus innings he allowed four runs on five hits, walking four and striking out two. After the injury, sidearming Australian righty Andrew Russell worked three shutout innings of two-hit ball to let the Hillcats get back in the game.

Lynchburg crept closer in the sixth with an RBI single by Gerry Rodriguez and after Colby Killian relieved Boscan, Keenan Wiley knocked another RBI single to cut it to 4-3.

Boscan, in line for the win before the ninth, allowed three runs while scattering nine hits in five and one-third innings. Killian held the lead in the seventh as well before handing the game to Kelly.

The middle game of the series is set for Wednesday night as righty Kennil Gomez (2-4, 3.83) goes for the Pelicans against Lynchburg lefty Chris Masters (8-5, 3.25). Tickets for all Pelicans home games, including the postseason, are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, and by phone at 843-918-6000 or 877-918-TIXX.

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