CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Wild Seventh Inning Gives Birds Series Win

Published on July 21, 2011 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC. - On Superhero Night at BB&T Coastal Field, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans needed another super comeback. Four wild pitches and a passed ball keyed a two-run sixth inning and a four-run seventh as the Birds erased a 5-1 deficit to take down the Wilmington Blue Rocks 7-5 on Thursday. The Birds took three of four in the series to end the homestand at 7-1.

The Birds cut the four-run lead in half in the sixth thanks to a defensive miscue. With two away, Vinny DiFazio beat out a grounder to third for an infield single, but John Whittleman's throw skipped away from first allowing Jared Prince to go from first to third. A Jose Bonilla passed ball plated Prince from third and Santiago Chirino singled home DiFazio to suddenly make it a 5-3 game.

Myrtle Beach broke through in the seventh thanks to more wildness on the mound. Jon Keck walked the bases loaded before Ryan Strausborger cracked a double into the gap in left center to score two and tie the game at five. That ended Keck's night and on came righty Dusty Odenbach.

With Jared Prince at the plate, Odenbach uncorked a wild pitch that brought in Andres James from third with the go-ahead run. Two batters later, another wild pitch sent Strausborger scampering home with an insurance run. All six runs in the comeback were charged to Keck (0-1), though only four were earned in his four-out stint.

The Birds' rally made a winner out of Kasey Kiker (2-2), who went six up, six down through the seventh and eighth and ended his night with two strikeouts. Ryan Rodebaugh (S, 1) worked a perfect ninth to pick up his first save in the Carolina League after the low-A Hickory closer was called up to Myrtle Beach on July 8.

Like the first three games of the series, it began as a low-scoring pitcher's duel. Justin Grimm of the Pelicans and Wilmington's Noel Arguelles both tossed five innings of one-run ball to start before the Blue Rocks rallied for four runs off Grimm in the sixth to jump ahead 5-1.

Grimm allowed five runs in six innings of work and took a no decision along with Arguelles, who held the Birds to one run on three hits, two of which were in the infield.

Strausborger led the Pelicans with two hits and three runs batted in. Jared Bolden went 1-for-4, snapping his streak of seven consecutive multiple-hit games.

Both teams hit the road for the weekend. Wilmington heads to Kinston while the Pelicans pay a visit to Maryland for a three-game set with the Frederick Keys. Barret Loux (8-4, 3.36) goes for the Birds in the opener against Ryohei Tanaka (6-3, 3.30) of Frederick. First pitch at Harry Grove Stadium on Friday is set for 7:00 p.m.

The Pelicans return home on Monday to begin a seven-game homestand with the first of four against the Lynchburg Hillcats. Tickets for all Pelicans home games, including the postseason, 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 July 21, 2011


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