CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

DiFazio Blasts Pelicans by Indians

Published on August 2, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


KINSTON, N.C. - Vinny DiFazio crushed two home runs off Kinston starter Marty Popham, and the Pelicans catcher's first career multi-homer game lifted Myrtle Beach to a 5-3 win over the Indians in the final regular season series opener between the two clubs at Historic Grainger Stadium.

The Indians, who will relocate to Zebulon, North Carolina for the 2012 season, welcomed their Southern Division rivals to Kinston in the midst of their worst losing streak of the season, a seven-game skid that has dropped them from a red-hot start to the second half to second place in the Southern entering Tuesday, just a half-game ahead of the first-half division champion Pelicans. DiFazio got the Pelicans started early, allaying any concerns surrounding a Myrtle Beach road offense that had scored just three runs in its previous five road games combined. The backstop wrecked a one-out Popham offering over the left-center field wall with two aboard in the second to jolt his team to a 3-0 lead and, three innings later, led off the fifth with a solo shot to bring home one more.

Myrtle Beach added another run in the fifth after Leury Garcia scored on a Popham wild pitch following his two-out triple off the center field wall to make it a 5-0 advantage. Popham (4-2) exited after six in the defeat.

While Myrtle Beach's offense was finding its stride, starting pitcher Wilfredo Boscan was rediscovering his. In the latest good start of an up-and-down season, Boscan didn't allow a baserunner through his first four innings and looked confident on the night, working out of the only jam he faced in the fifth by striking out the side after two leadoff baserunners. In the sixth, though, the right-hander's night came to an early end when Jordan Casas's one-out liner with a man on struck the pitcher in his side. Boscan (3-8) momentarily crumpled to the mound before leaving under his own power. He was relieved by Kennil Gomez who inherited runners at the corners.

Designated hitter Jeremie Tice was Kinston's lone offensive performer of note in the opener, breaking up Boscan's perfect game bid in the fifth inning with a leadoff single and belting a two-out, three-run homer of his own off Gomez in the sixth. Those runs were all of Kinston's output on the night, and the rest of the K-Tribe lineup could only match Tice's two hits. Gomez pitched an inning and two-thirds of relief before giving way to Joe Ortiz who pitched two one-hit, shutout innings in the eighth and ninth to pick up his fifth save of the season. The lefty struck out Casey Frawley and Tyler Cannon each with a man aboard to end the affair.

With the series opener in hand, the Pelicans look to send Kinston to its ninth straight loss when they send righty Justin Grimm (3-2, 3.49) to the mound in Wednesday's 11 a.m. tilt to oppose Indians southpaw T.J. House (6-9, 4.50).

The Pelicans return home Friday to host the Potomac Nationals for the first three of a six-game homestand at BB&T Coastal Field. Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.

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Carolina League Stories from August 2, 2011


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