CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Offense Explodes In Pelicans' Rout

Published on August 6, 2009 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - With second place in the Carolina League Southern Division within reach, the Pelicans torched Lynchburg Hillcats pitching with an offensive showcase unmatched in 2009.

Myrtle Beach scored seven times in the sixth inning and five more in the seventh en route to a 13-4 win over Lynchburg, setting season records for most runs scored and most hits in a single game.

Early indications didn't point to a lot of offense in the series opener of this four-game set with the Pelicans and Hillcats dueling to a 1-1 draw going to the sixth. Lynchburg opened the inning with a pair of runs to take a 3-1 advantage, but the Pelicans broke out in the bottom of the frame. Myrtle Beach got one run home on a Benji Johnson RBI double, but with two outs, Johnson stood just one base further along with nothing else home in the inning. Then, the bats awoke. The next six Birds reached with two coming across on a bases-loaded single by Donell Linares and another scoring on a Cody Johnson ground rule double. The big blow in the inning came in the form of a three-run Gerry Rodriguez homer to left field. The seven runs matched a season high for a single inning originally set in the first inning against Kinston on April 22.

The Pelicans weren't done. After Lynchburg got a solo homer by Eric Fryer in the top of the seventh, Myrtle Beach got down to business again. Chris Shehan doubled to open the inning and came around to score one out later on a two-run Randy Gress homer, the shortstop's second of the year. After another run-scoring Rodriguez single, Jesus Sucre added a two-run single of his own to cap the Birds' offensive night.

Hillcats starter Matt McSwain (9-7) was charged with five of the Pelicans' 13 runs on nine hits, exiting with two outs in that monster sixth. Reliever Moises Robles bore the brunt of the outburst, charged with seven earned on seven hits over one inning of work. For the Pelicans, starter Erik Cordier pitched an effective six innings, allowing three runs-two earned-on eight hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Cordier (6-4) didn't walk a man for just the second time all year and the first since May 3.

With the victory, the Pelicans moved past the Salem Red Sox, who lost Thursday, into sole possession of second place in the Southern Division, one game back of first-place Winston-Salem.

First pitch for game two of this four-game series is set for 7:05 Friday evening at BB&T Coastal Field. Myrtle Beach right-hander Brandon Beachy (2-1, 2.87) is scheduled to go against Lynchburg's Nate Adcock (1-0, 3.00) Tickets for all Pelicans home games are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, by calling (843)918-6000 or by visiting the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

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Carolina League Stories from August 6, 2009


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