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CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Hilligoss Gives Pelicans Wild Walk-off

June 9, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC - In the absence of third baseman Mike Olt, a struggling Pelicans offense kept looking for the big hit. After the bullpen squandered a 4-0 lead and the bats left 16 men on base, new third baseman Mitch Hilligoss came through with a 12th inning double to score Leury Garcia from first as the Pelicans took down the Winston-Salem Dash 5-4 at BB&T Coastal Field.

The rally started when Garcia worked a walk, his third of the game, off Dash reliever Leroy Hunt (1-1). Garcia was off from first on a 3-2 pitch and Hilligoss cracked it to the gap in right-center to score Garcia easily and cap a 4-for-6 night to hand the Birds a walk-off win in their longest game of the season. The Pelicans also went 12 innings in a 5-4 win against the Dash on April 20, and this game clocked in at three hours and fifty-six minutes.

When first baseman Chris McGuiness was activated from the disabled list on Monday, the Pelicans transferred Hilligoss to the Short-Season A Spokane roster. That night, Olt went down with a broken collarbone and Hilligoss was put back on the Myrtle Beach roster. After filling in for the injured McGuiness at first base for the month of May, Hilligoss finds himself as the regular third baseman and is making the most of his opportunity.

The Pelicans seemingly had this game in hand through the first six innings after jumping out to a quick lead behind the strong pitching of Justin Grimm. The right-hander tossed six shutout innings of four-hit ball, walking three and striking out six.

The Birds backed him with two runs in the first on RBI singles from McGuiness and Zach Zaneski. They added another in the second when Hilligoss singled off Dash starter Andre Rienzo. Myrtle Beach scored again against reliever Justin Collop in the sixth when moments after Dash manager Julio Vinas was ejected arguing a stolen base call, Ryan Strausborger singled home Garcia to extend the lead to 4-0.

With nine outs to go, the bullpen imploded for Myrtle Beach. Zach Osborne gave up three runs, two earned, in an inning of relief. Joe Ortiz allowed a game-tying double to Dan Wagner with two outs in the eighth and the game was suddenly tied at four.

The Pelicans had chance after chance to plate the winning run. They left 11 men aboard in the first six innings when they could have broken the game open. Now with the score even, they left the bases loaded in the eighth when Jared Hoying struck out. They had another chance in the tenth after Hilligoss doubled to lead off and moved to third on a Strausborger sacrifice bunt. McGuiness walked before Zaneski bounced into a 4-6-3 double play to end the rally and send the game to the 11th.

Johan Yan was brilliant out of the bullpen for the Pelicans. Entering the game with two men in scoring position and two out in the eighth after Winston-Salem tied the score, he induced a groundout to end the inning and preserve the tie. He followed with two perfect innings in the ninth and tenth. Austin Yount led off the 11th and reached on a Garcia fielding error, but Yan retired the next three to complete his three and one-third hitless, scoreless innings.

Kennil Gomez (2-1) entered in the 12th and allowed one-out singles to Ian Gac and Andy Wilkins. Mike Blanke tapped a grounder back to the mound to send the runners over and with two out, Gomez struck out Nick Ciolli to set the stage for the Pelicans walk-off win.

The Pelicans remain three and a half games up in the Southern Division after the Kinston Indians won 9-1 in Wilmington. Myrtle Beach's magic number dropped to nine with 11 games to play before a first-half champion is crowned. The Birds visit Kinston for a three-game set starting Friday.

The final game of the four-game set is set for tomorrow night as the Pelicans will try to earn a split. Right-hander Barret Loux goes for the Pelicans against Ryan Buch of Winston-Salem. First pitch at BB&T Coastal Field is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Tickets for all Pelicans home games 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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