Pelicans Battle Back but Fall in Extras
May 27, 2010 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - In a microcosm of the Pelicans tough 2010 campaign, Calvin Culver lofted a towering fly ball to the left field wall in the fourth inning of the Birds' rubber matchup against the Lynchburg Hillcats. The Cats' left fielder, Kevyn Feiner, set up at the wall, braced himself against the fence, leapt high in the air and snared the would-be home run from a Pelican fan, denying Culver his first Carolina League home run. As luck would have it, that run would turn out to be the difference as the Pelicans dropped another heartbreaking extra-inning loss by the score of 7-6.
On a night where the Pelicans offense finally showed signs of life, scoring six runs for the first time since May 8, it would be fitting that the Pelicans pitching staff would have an off night. For the last nine games, Pelican starting pitchers had gone six innings in each start, allowing just ten combined runs for a 1.45 ERA.
Lefty Matt Crim got the nod on the hill tonight for Rocket Wheeler's ballclub and the southpaw struggled, surrendering five runs in five innings of work.
The Hillcats plated a pair of runs in the top of the first inning on a groundout from Neftali Soto and an RBI double from Alex Buchholz, but the Birds would answer in the bottom half of the frame as Mike Jones laced a one-out double to left-center field to cut the Hillcat lead in half.
Speed demon L.V. Ware, the newest Pelican after his callup from Rome, walked to lead off the second inning, stole second, and scored on a wild pitch to knot the game at two, but the Hillcats responded with three runs in the top of the third.
Four straight batters reached base against Crim including a mammoth two-run home run from Devin Mesoraco to give Lynchburg a 5-2 advantage.
It would stay that way until the bottom of the seventh inning when the Pelicans fought back against reliever Lance Janke. Dan Nelson walked with one out and Travis Jones, who bopped 16 home runs with the Pelicans in 2008, launched a towering two-run shot over the Budweiser Thirst Inning Deck to cut the Pelican deficit to one at 5-4. Two batters later, Mike Jones lashed a Janke fastball into the first row of left field seats for his first home run as a Pelican, an all-important round-tripper that tied the game at five.
When Josh Fellhauer knocked a go-ahead RBI single in the 8th inning, the Pelicans needed a run in the bottom of the ninth to send the game to extras, and once again it was Ware in the middle of it all. The speedster led off the frame with an infield single, was sacrificed to second, and eventually came around to tally the tying run when Gerardo Avila's two-strike, two-out ground ball up the middle glanced off closer Justin Freeman's (1-1) glove.
In extras, however, it was the same old story for the Pelicans who fell to 0-6 in bonus baseball in 2010. Fellhauer hit an RBI grounder off Angelo Paulino (1-1) that allowed the winning run to score when Efrain Contreras eluded the attempted tag of Sammy Sime on a would-be double play ball.
In a one-run game that went to extras, it was the robbed home run that loomed large after the final out.
The Pelicans welcome in the Wilmington Blue Rocks, who swept the Pelicans last weekend from Frawley Stadium. For the ever popular Free Stuff Friday, Pelicans fans will be treated to a special Pelicans Scratch-Off Game where the first 1,500 fans through the gates will receive a scratch card. Prizes include autographed Birds memorabilia and other cool Pelicans gear, so come on out early to get your chance to win free Pelicans merchandise.
For more information on tickets and daily promotions, log onto www.myrtlebeachpelicans.com or call 1-877-918-TIXX or 843-918-6000.
Carolina League Stories from May 27, 2010
- Pelicans Battle Back but Fall in Extras - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
- Hillcats Fend Off Pelicans to Take Series - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Pimentel's Near Perfection Vaults Sox Past Dash - Salem Red Sox
- Bats Quiet Again as Salem Takes Series - Winston-Salem Dash
- Tim Pahuta And Cole Kimball Promoted To AA Harrisburg - Potomac Nationals
- Joseph Joins The Hillcats - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
- Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
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