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CarL Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Birds Downed by Hillcats 13-5 in Series Opener

April 11, 2023 - Carolina League (CarL)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


In their first road game of the season, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell to the Lynchburg Hillcats 13-5 in the first game of the series on Tuesday night. The Pelicans dropped to 1-2, while the Hillcats improved to 2-2 with the victory.

The power was on display for the Pelicans' lineup as Moises Ballesteros (1-4, HR, RBI) and Cristian Hernandez (1-3, HR, RBI, BB) both hit solo home runs for their firsts of the season. Eight of the nine Myrtle Beach hitters collected hits in the defeat, with half of their eight hits being extra.

It was an off night for the Pelicans' pitching staff as starter Michael Arias (0-1) took the loss in his first start of the season. The right-hander lasted just two innings with three earned runs off three hits and four walks while striking out two. Angel Hernandez gave up another three earned runs in his lone inning of work off two hits and a pair of walks. Nick Hull gave up a bulk of the runs with six earned, seven total through two innings in relief. The Pelicans' defense committed a season-high four errors in the field as well.

Lynchburg scored 13 runs off 12 hits in their second win of the year. Wuilfredo Antunez (4-5, 2B, RBI) recorded a four-hit game while also scoring three runs. Manuel Mejias (1-4, 3 RBI, BB) and Jose Devers (1-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB) paced the Hillcats offense with three RBI each.

In his 2023 debut, starting pitcher Braunny Munoz (1-0) threw five shutout innings without giving up a hit and walking just one while recording three strikeouts to earn the win. Reliever Miguel Vinicio followed by allowing four earned runs off four hits, including the two solo homers.

After a scoreless two frames, the Hillcats took control with a six-run bottom of the third. With the bases loaded, Mejias drew a walk to bring in the first run with no outs. Lexer Saduy followed with a groundout to second that scored Antunez from third to extend the lead to 2-0. Following a walk to Marc Filia and a strikeout on Pres Cavenaugh, Devers lined a double to left field that cleared the bases to break the game open at 5-0. Nate Furman followed with a single on a line-drive to right that scored Devers to complete the six-run frame.

After going without a hit for the first five innings, the Pelicans got things going in the top of the sixth with three runs. With Hernandez on second and one out, Christian Franklin knocked the first hit of the game for Myrtle Beach on an RBI triple out to right field. Franklin scored on a Pedro Ramirez sacrifice fly to left. Ballesteros followed with his first home run of the year to center field to cut the Lynchburg lead down to three.

The rally was short-lived as the Hillcats got all three runs back in the bottom half. With runners on first and second and nobody out, Antunez lined a double to right field to bring in Furman. Two batters later, Mejias smacked a single to center field to score another run and move Antunez to third. He scored on Saduy's fielder's choice to extend the home team's lead to 9-3.

Hernandez hit his first home run of the season with the bases empty and two outs in the top of the seventh to center field to make it a 9-4 Lynchburg lead.

Four more runs came across for the Hillcats in the bottom half. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Guy Lipscomb hit a two-run double to right field for his only hit of the night. Lipscomb would move to third as the third run came in on a throwing error by Birds' first baseman Miguel Fabrizio. Mejias followed with an RBI groundout that scored Lipscomb to push the Hillcats' advantage to 13-4.

One more run came in for the Pelicans in the top of the eighth as Reivaj Garcia hit an infield single with runners on the corners.

The Pelicans and Hillcats will square off for the second game of the series on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.

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