Leading in the Ninth, Pelicans Win in Ten

Published on June 17, 2009 under American Association (AA)
Pensacola Pelicans News Release


The Pensacola Pelicans took the victory tonight, but they had to end the game twice in a 5-4 win.

Leading 4-2 with two out and two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, the Captains' Dwayne White hit a ball that ricocheted off of pitcher Hunter Davis' glove towards second base. Antoin Gray reversed direction to grab the ball, but didn't get a good handle on it. Both runners came in to score on the error, and the Captains forced extra innings. Gray led off the top of the tenth with a single, and recovered the victory when he scored on an RBI by Chase Burch to win 5-4.

Kyle Middleton started the game and though a run came in at the bottom of the first, the righty would not yield an earned run until the bottom of the eighth. The run in the eighth ended Middleton's 33.1 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.

The Captains scored first in the bottom of the initial frame. Jonathan Reynoso led off with a single, and moved up a base on a passed ball. When Dwayne White grounded out to short, Reynoso advanced to third. Medina followed with a sacrifice fly to left, and the Captains led 1-0 after one.

The Pelicans tied the game in the third frame, when Chase Burch started the inning with a double. Luis Bautista followed with one of his own, scoring Burch. The Pelicans took the lead an inning later, as Alvarez walked as the leadoff hitter. Luis Guance put a sac bunt down to move Alvarez into scoring position, and Marcos Rodriguez moved Alvarez up a base with a ground out to first base. Chase Burch followed with an RBI single, and the Pelicans led 2-0 after four innings.

The Pelicans put two runs on the board in the fifth, with Adam Deleo singling down the right field line. Deleo advanced to second on a groundout, and with two out, Antoin Gray hit a double to right center that brought Deleo in. Rafael Alvarez followed with an RBI single that plated Gray, and the Pelicans were up 4-1.

The Captains countered with a run in the bottom of the eighth, setting up the wild ninth that produced the two runs to tie the game at four and demand extras.

In the top of the tenth, Antoin Gray led off with a single to right, and Alvarez followed with one of his own. With one out, Marcos Rodriguez hit an infield single to load the bases. Chase Burch strolled to the plate and walked to first, scoring Antoin Gray and giving the Pelicans the winning run.

Hunter Davis retired the Captains 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth to win the game a second time, 5-4. Davis finished the evening without allowing an earned run in two innings pitched, striking out three batters, picking up the win to improve to 1-0. After 33 and a third consecutive innings, Kyle Middleton allowed his first earned run tonight, ending a streak that began May 26. He pitched eight innings this evening, giving up five hits, just one earned run (picked up with one out in the eighth inning), and struck out five. Middleton is leading the league in strikeouts. Since his streak started, Middleton is 2-0, with two no-decisions, and has brought his ERA to 2.23, down from 5.71 when the streak began. In that time he has only walked four batters.

Dane DeValk will have the ball tomorrow for the Pelicans, pitching against the Captains' Aaron Cunningham. The game marks the end of a seven-game road trip, as the Pelicans return home Friday for a full week of home games. Tickets may be purchased online at www.pensacolapelicans.com.

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American Association Stories from June 17, 2009


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