Ross Reigns in Soggy Salem Opener

June 26, 2011 - Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release

SALEM, VA - Left-hander Robbie Ross picked up his Carolina League-leading eighth win, and though he had his masterful day cut short by a rain delay, his offense got behind him early enough to send the Pelicans to a series-opening 4-1 win over the Salem Red Sox Sunday afternoon at Salem Memorial Ballpark.

Sunday might have seemed like a longer day than usual for Pelicans players and coaches who arrived in Salem at 7:30 in the morning, about three hours after their anticipated arrival time due to travel issues. With a short night's - or day's - sleep behind them prior to their 4 p.m. start time, the Birds roused themselves in the third inning to take the game's upper hand. Jared Bolden, Andres James, and Mitch Hilligoss all drove doubles in the frame against Salem starter Ryan Pressly with the latter two being of the RBI variety to stake Ross to a 2-0 advantage.

The Pelicans gave Ross one more run of support in the fourth when Jared Hoying singled with one out, stole second, and came home on a Santiago Chirino two-hop liner off the first base bag to make it 3-0 in favor of Myrtle Beach.

Ross cruised all afternoon long. Kolbrin Vitek's one-out single in the first inning marked the only man Salem sent over the minimum against Myrtle Beach until two outs in the sixth inning. Then, after Derrik Gibson reached on an error, Vitek singled him to second, and the pair executed a double steal to put themselves in scoring position, Ross easily whiffed Bryce Brentz to strangle the threat. The southpaw from Nicholasville, Kentucky struck out four without walking a man and allowing just two hits in his six innings of work. Gibson and Vitek were the only runners to reach scoring position against Ross on the day.

After Brentz's strikeout, a steady rain began to fall in Salem, forcing a 46-minute rain delay prior to the seventh. Both starters exited following the pause. Salem's Pressly (4-7) allowed three Pelicans tallies earned on eight hits over his six innings of work while Ross (8-2) moved back alone atop the circuit's win column with his six innings of two-hit, shutout ball.

Against the Red Sox bullpen, the Pelicans tacked on another in the eighth inning when Hilligoss doubled and later scored on an Anatanaer Batista wild pitch to make it 4-0. Chad Bell (S, 1) earned the save for the Pelicans by tossing three innings of relief. Bell faced just one man over the minimum when Brentz hit a two-out, two-strike homer in the ninth. Though inconsequential in the decision, it did break up the shutout, a small victory for a Salem team that hasn't had many at home as of late. The Red Sox have now dropped 18 of their last 19 home games.

Myrtle Beach will go for a series victory tomorrow at Salem Memorial Ballpark when they send new lefty starter Miguel De Los Santos, in the spot in the rotation formerly occupied by All-Star Joe Wieland, against Salem's Anthony Ranaudo (1-3, 2.78). De Los Santos, a member of the Texas Rangers' 40-man roster, struggled in his start to 2011 in Double-A Frisco before a rehab appearance from injury in the Arizona League last week. His Monday start will be his first in the Carolina League.

The Pelicans return home to the Grand Strand following this brief three-game jaunt north for a three-game series in Myrtle Beach against the Kinston Indians from June 29 through July 1. Tickets for all Pelicans home games can be purchased by visiting the BB&T Coastal Field box office, the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com, or by calling (843)918-6000 or (877)918-TIXX.

• Discuss this story on the Carolina League message board...

Carolina League Stories from June 26, 2011

• Late Arriving Offense Provides Plenty - Frederick Keys
• Opportunistic Keys Defeat Blue Rocks - Wilmington Blue Rocks
• Late Surge Lifts Dash - Winston-Salem Dash
• Gac Blasts Dash Past Hillcats - Lynchburg Hillcats
• Porous Defense Again Costs P-Nats - Potomac Nationals
• Kinston Wins Sixth Straight Game - Kinston Indians
• Ross Reigns in Soggy Salem Opener - Myrtle Beach Pelicans
• Pelicans Make Quick Work of Red Sox - Salem Red Sox
• Hector Santiago Promoted to White Sox - Winston-Salem Dash
• Lynchburg Hillcats Game Notes - Lynchburg Hillcats
• Winston-Salem Dash Game Notes - Winston-Salem Dash
• Kinston Indians Game Notes - Kinston Indians
• Myrtle Beach Pelicans Game Notes - Myrtle Beach Pelicans

The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

Other Recent Myrtle Beach Pelicans Stories

• Bowser's Walk-off Double Gives Pelicans 11-10 Victory Over Fireflies
• Pelicans Allow Two in the Ninth, Fall to Fireflies 5-4
• Pelicans Suffer Big Inning, Lose to Fireflies 7-2
• Pelicans Fall in Eleven Innings 5-4 to Fireflies
• Late Runs Down Pelicans in 10-6 Loss to the Fireflies