CarL Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Hillcats Squeeze Past Pelicans 3-1

Published on May 20, 2021 under Carolina League (CarL)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


For the second game in the series, Myrtle Beach was held to less than three hits in the loss

In another low-scoring affair, the Pelicans hitting ran dry in a 3-1 loss to the Hillcats in Lynchburg on Thursday night. The loss drops Myrtle Beach back under the .500 mark to 7-8, while Lynchburg improves to 11-4 on the season.

The Birds were only able to find two gaps in the Hillcats' defense for just two hits in the game. For the series, Myrtle Beach has posted just nine hits in three games. Yohendrick Pinango (1-3, HR) went deep for his first professional home run while Ed Howard (1-3, 2B) provided another extra-base hit for the Pelicans' lineup.

Birds' starter DJ Herz (0-0) had his best outing of the year, going four innings with two hits allowed, one earned run, and a Pelicans' season-high eight strikeouts. The loss went to reliever Jose Albertos (1-1) after the right-hander went three innings with two earned runs off four hits.

The Hillcats' lineup was carried by a three-hit performance from Gabriel Rodriguez (3-4, 2B, 3B, R) and also got help from Angel Martinez (2-3, 2 RBI) and Micah Pries (0-4, RBI) in the team's seven-hit, three-run showing.

After Lynchburg starter Jordan Jones (0-1) went four innings with one run allowed, reliever Miguel Vincio (2-0) shut the door on the Pelicans with four hitless innings and five strikeouts en route to his second win of the season. Jerson Ramirez threw the final inning of the game and picked up his second save of the series. After the Howard double in the fourth inning, the Hillcats' pitching staff retired the next 17 batters to end the game.

It didn't take long for the home team to strike the scoreboard as Christian Cairo led off the Hillcats' first with a triple that hugged the third base line. Cario scored in the next at-bat with Pries grounding out to second and the score was 1-0.

The Pelicans' responded quickly in the next half inning as Pinango crushed a no-doubt home run to right field for his first professional home run and the game was tied 1-1.

Myrtle Beach threatened in the fourth inning with 2020 first-round pick Ed Howard doubling to right-center field with one out. The next two Pelican hitters grounded out to stand Howard in scoring position. The Birds' would not get another player on base the rest of the game.

Lynchburg took charge in the bottom of the fifth inning after Gabriel Rodriguez doubled with one out to get into scoring position off Albertos in his first inning of work. Rodriguez advanced 90 feet on a stolen base, and after Alexfri Planez walked, Rodriguez was hit in with a Martinez single to right field to make the score 2-1. Martinez was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the hit.

Lynchburg put some distance between Myrtle Beach in the seventh inning after Andres Melendez walked with one out. Gabriel Rodriguez picked up his third hit with a single that advanced Melendez to second, and was later driven in by Martinez with a single up the middle to extend the lead to 3-1.

Ramirez came on to close the game in the ninth inning for the Hillcats and retired the Pelicans in order to pick up the save with the final score at 3-1.

The Hillcats and Pelicans will meet for the fourth game of the series tomorrow night at 6:30.

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Carolina League Stories from May 20, 2021


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