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CarL Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Drop Season Opener to RiverDogs

April 8, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


The Pelicans opened the 2022 season with a 5-2 loss to the Charleston RiverDogs on the road on Friday night. The loss was the fourth season-opening loss in a row for Myrtle Beach as they fell to 0-1 on the season. Charleston, the reigning league champions, started the season 1-0.

Myrtle Beach collected five hits in their first game since September 19th. Peter Matt (1-4, 2B) notched the first hit of the season for the Pelicans with a double in the second inning. Yeison Santana (1-4, RBI) brought home one of the two Myrtle Beach runs for the night.

Tyler Schlaffer (0-1) started the game for the Pelicans and picked up the loss in his 2.2 innings of work. The Illinois native struck out five while allowing three runs on three hits including a home run. The Myrtle Beach bullpen of Riley Martin, Luis Devers, and Walker Powell gave up just one earned run and three hits in the final 5.1 innings.

Four of the RiverDogs six hits were extra as Dru Baker (3-4, HR, 3 RBI) led the attack with a two-run home run and an RBI single in his 2022 debut.

The Charleston pitching staff collected 15 strikeouts with Austin Vernon (1-0) taking the win after striking out seven in his three innings of relief. Kyle Whitten earned the save with just over one inning of hitless baseball.

After the Pelicans left two runners on base in their half of the opening frame, the RiverDogs opened with a Ryan Spikes walk on Schlaffer. Two batters later, Baker flew a 2-0 pitch just over the left field wall to give the home team an early 2-0 lead.

Charleston added on to their lead in the bottom of the third as Mason Auer reached base on a dropped fly ball by Santana at second base. After Spikes struck out, Carson Williams lined a triple to center field to score the run and give the RiverDogs a 3-0 lead.

Myrtle Beach sacrificed two more runs the next inning as Charleston loaded the bases on a Willy Vasquez double, Shane Sasaki walk, and a Reginald Preciado fielding error at short to put Freddvil Chevez on base. Luis Leon grounded to short for a forceout at second as the run scored and the bases remained loaded. Martin threw a wild pitch that scored Sasaki to extend the lead to 5-0.

The Pelicans lineup woke up in the later innings as one run came across the plate in the seventh and eighth innings. Jacob Wetzel led off the inning with a walk and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. He tagged up and advanced to third on a flyout by BJ Murray Jr. and scored on a ground ball to center by Santana. Ezequiel Pagan grounded into a double play to end the visitor's half of the seventh.

With two outs in the top of the eighth, Felix Stevens worked a walk and Ethan Hearn singled to put two runners on base. Matt stepped up and flew a ball out to center that was dropped by Sasaki as Stevens scored to make it 5-2. The Bird went down in order in their half of the ninth to end the game.

Myrtle Beach and Charleston will meet again on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m. for the second game of the year.

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