CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Prince Homers and Ties CL Mark, Birds Fall 10-3

Published on September 5, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. - Jared Prince marched into the Carolina League record books in painful fashion and the Pelicans suffered a painful 10-3 loss to the Salem Red Sox to close out the regular season at BB&T Coastal Field on Monday. Prince homered in the fourth inning then tied the league record with his 30th hit by pitch of the season in the sixth inning as the Birds were swept by Salem.

On the day he was announced as the Pelicans' Most Valuable Player as voted by his teammates and coaches, Prince equaled the record of 30 set by Winston-Salem's Seth Loman in 2010. A former Washington State Cougar, Prince's college coaches would pull players who avoided pitches, so the Kingston, WA native developed a knack for getting plunked.

Prince finishes the regular season as the league leader in on base percentage with a .376 mark and his .282 batting average ranked seventh on the league leaderboard.

The historic moment was a bright spot on a night in which they were swept by Salem as the Red Sox jumped them in the second-half standings. The Pelicans finish the half in last place in the Southern Division at 32-38. After going 40-29 to take the first-half title and earn a playoff berth, the Birds sputtered to a 72-67 final record in the regular season.

Salem's sweep earned them a split in the season series at 10-10. The Pelicans also went 10-10 against their other two division rivals, the Winston-Salem Dash and the Kinston Indians. Myrtle Beach takes on Kinston in the first round of the postseason with game one at BB&T Coastal Field on Wednesday night.

Chad Bell started for Myrtle Beach in a tune up for his start in game two of the playoffs on Thursday. Bell worked a nine-pitch 1-2-3 first inning with a strikeout before being removed. Since June 12, Bell's 2.32 ERA and 1.03 WHIP are both the best marks in the Carolina League.

Kasey Kiker (3-4) was the first pitcher out of the Birds' bullpen and he struggled as he retired only one of the six batters he faced. After a strikeout to open the frame, three walks and two singles added up to three Salem runs as the Red Sox jumped into the lead. Ryan Kelly came on for Kiker, notched the last two outs of the second and threw a 1-2-3 third before the wheels came off in the fourth.

A double, a strikeout-passed ball and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Peter Hissey, who hit a grand slam off Kelly just inside the foul pole and in the first row of the bleachers in left for an opposite-field shot that was his second homer of the season and the third of his career.

Trevor Hurley was the next pitcher in for Myrtle Beach and he allowed a three-run home run to Matt Spring that made it a 10-0 game. The seven runs scored in the fourth inning are the most given up in a frame by Myrtle Beach this year.

Pelicans pitching settled in after the onslaught, posting zeroes from the fifth through the eighth. Hurley set down seven of the last nine men he faced before lefty Jimmy Reyes worked a scoreless inning and a third. Ryan Rodebaugh tossed a 1-2-3 eighth. Matt West, called up Monday from Short Season-A Spokane, made his Carolina League debut with a scoreless ninth.

Stolmy Pimentel (6-4) shut down the Birds in seven innings of work to take the win. The only blemishes on his night were back-to-back hits in the fourth inning when Leury Garcia led off with a double and Prince followed with his home run. The right-hander, who struggled mightily in 2011, ended his season on a high note with seven strong frames of two-run, two-hit ball.

After an off day on Tuesday, the Carolina League postseason begins on Wednesday night at BB&T Coastal Field when the Pelicans host game one of the Southern Division Championship Series against the Kinston Indians. The Birds and the K-Tribe split the 20-game regular season series that included the longest game in Carolina League history, a 23-inning affair in Kinston on June 12 that the Indians won 3-2. First pitch at BB&T Coastal Field in the playoff opener is set for 7:05 p.m. Tickets for the postseason, as well as 2012 season tickets, 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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Carolina League Stories from September 5, 2011


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