Myrtle Beach Pelicans Defeat Salem Avalanche - Carolina League

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com - Myrtle Beach, S.C - After a furious comeback in the bottom of the ninth by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (12-10) to send the game to extra- innings, Salem Avalanche (11-10) center fielder Jordan Parraz hit a home run over the left center field wall to give the Avalanche a 5-4 lead. The Pelicans were unable to answer in the bottom of the tenth. Even with the loss, the Pelicans will wake up on Saturday with sole position of first place in the Southern division as the Wilmington Blue Rocks defeated the Winston-Salem Warthogs 6-2.



For the first time in the series, the Salem Avalanche cracked the scoreboard first. Second baseman Wladimir Sutil reached on a walk issued by Deunte Heath to lead off the ball game. After swiping second, he advanced 90 feet to third on a roll out by Cesar Quintero. Then, catcher Tyler Flowers was crossed up on a pitch that went all the way to the backstop, allowing Sutil to score.



The Pelicans responded in the second inning to tie the game at one apiece. Travis Jones jump-started the inning with a liner to left. Jones proceeded to steal second before being moved up to third on a ground out. With two outs, Phillip Britton poked an outside changeup into left center field that scored Jones and cut the lead to 2-1.



The Avalanche built a three run lead in the middle innings by scoring one run in each the third, fourth and fifth innings. In the third, Mark Ori reached on a two-out throwing error by Brandon Powell to extend the inning. With Ori at second, Orlando Rosales made the Pelicans pay by singling up the middle to regain the advantage. In the fourth, the Pelicans aided the Avalanche’s cause as Brandon Powell and Brandon Hicks committed back-to-back errors to put runners at first and third with one out. Then, Wladimir Sutil broke for second and drew a throw from Tyler Flowers, allowing Jhon Florentino to score. The Avalanche added one more in the fifth on a Jordan Parraz RBI single that scored Tim Torres.



Pelicans starter Deunte Heath was victim of numerous costly defensive mistakes. He gave up just two hits and one earned run, while registering five strikeouts. Pelicans relievers Bryan Dumesnil, Nick Fellman and Kelvin Villa all pitched admirably. The only blemish to Fellman’s night was an off-speed pitch to Jordan Parraz that was left up in the zone and Parraz capitalized over the left field wall.



The Pelicans displayed a never say die attitude in the late innings. In the eighth, Travis Jones lined a single to left field that scored Tyler Flowers from second to cut the lead to 4-2. The score remained 4-2 heading into the last of the ninth. With one out, Phillip Britton connected on his second hit of the evening. The next hitter, Yohan Silva, rocketed a line drive down the left field line to bring home Britton from first to trim the lead to 4-3. With Silva resting at third base, Brandon Hicks hit a lazy fly ball to right that Orlando Rosales lost to the turf allowing the Pelicans to tie the game at 4-4. The Pelicans had a chance to walk away winners in the ninth, but Brandon Powell rolled into a routine double play.



After the Jordan Parraz homer in the top of tenth, the Pelicans went quietly in order in the bottom of the tenth.