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CarL Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Wetzel Homers, Pelicans Win Third Straight over Shorebirds

April 22, 2022 - Carolina League (CarL)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


In his home state of Maryland, Jacob Wetzel hit a two-run home run and brought home three runs in the Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5-2 victory over the Delmarva Shorebirds on Friday night. The third-straight win for the Pelicans moved them up to 8-5 on the season, while the Shorebirds dropped to 5-8. Myrtle Beach now has a 3-1 lead in the first four games of this series.

Wetzel (1-5, HR, 3 RBI) led the charge for the Pelicans with his first home run of the season. After not hitting any homers in their home-opening series, the Birds now have four in the first four games against Delmarva. Pete Crow-Armstrong (2-4, 2 RBI, BB) brought home a pair of runs on a single and moved his on-base streak to seven games. Myrtle Beach tallied nine hits with seven of them being singles.

Richard Gallardo (1-0) became the first starting pitcher for the Pelicans to earn a win this season by going five shutout innings with two hits allowed and five strikeouts to just one walk. The five-inning outing by Gallardo was the longest by a Pelicans pitcher this season. Tyler Santana picked up his first save with two innings and one earned run off three hits.

The Shorebirds racked up seven hits with all of them being singles while the lineup struck out 10 times and went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Davis Tavarez (2-4) was the only Shorebird with multiple hits while Ryan Higgins (1-1, RBI) brought home the lone RBI after coming off the bench.

Friday's loss went to Juan De Los Santos (1-2) with just one earned run off three hits in his 4 1/3 innings pitched. Each of the four pitchers for Delmarva gave up at least one run with Alejandro Mendez sacrificing two off one hit and four walks in his two innings of work.

The fourth game of the series started off scoreless for four complete frames until the Pelicans cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Ethan Hearn roped a double down the right-field line on a 3-2 pitch to get things rolling. After a Liam Spence groundout, Reginald Preciado singled on a 3-0 pitch off new bullpen arm Hugo Beltran. Juan More was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat to load the bases. Myrtle Beach sent leadoff hitter Crow-Armstrong to the plate and he cashed in with a ground ball up the middle for a two-run single and the Pelicans went up 2-0.

Delmarva scored their first run in the bottom of the sixth as Valdez hit an infield single to third off new Pelican pitcher Chase Watkins. Valdez stole second during the next at-bat and moved to third on Mishael Deson's dribbler that was fielded by Hearn behind the plate. Watkins threw his first of three wild pitches in the inning to allow Valdez to score and make it a 2-1 Myrtle Beach lead.

It was a quick response by the Pelicans as two more came across in the top of the seventh. Preciado struck out to open the inning and Mora walked to reach base for his second time. Mora advanced to second on a wild pitch by Mendez and got to third on a groundout to first by Crow-Armstrong. Wetzel approached the plate and crushed a 2-1 pitch over the right-field wall for a two-run homer to make it 4-1 Pelicans. It was his first home run of the season.

The home team had their best shot to climb back in the bottom of the eighth. With Santana on the mound for Myrtle Beach, Deson walked on five pitches and stole second to move into scoring position. Higgins grounded a ball in between second and first to send Deson home for an RBI single and made it a 4-2 Pelicans lead with nobody out. Tavarez then lined a single to left to put the tying run on the basepaths. After Isaac Bellony flew out to left for the first out, Isaac De Leon walked on four pitches to load the bases. With the tying run on second and go-ahead run at first, Josue Cruz hit a chopper to Mora at second who touched the bag and threw to first base in time for a double play to end the inning.

Myrtle Beach tacked on one more in the top of the ninth. Mora singled for his second hit of the game and went to third on Crow-Armstrong's single. Wetzel came up as the third batter of the inning and hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Mora and bring the lead to 5-2.

The Pelicans will have a chance to win their second-straight series with game five on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. from Maryland.

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