Myrtle Beach Pelicans Nearly Lose Seven-Run Lead to Lynchburg Hillcats in 8-7 Win

MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com – LYNCHBURG, VA - The Pelicans stormed to a an 8-1 lead, before nearly seeing that lead evaporate as they held off a furious rally from Lynchburg to take the series opener from the Hillcats, 8-7.

Enjoying a seven-run lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, a Steve Lerud three-run blast over the wall in
right-center field brought the Pelicans back down to earth as their lead was cut to 8-4.  That lead shrunk
to three as Eddie Prasch followed the homer with a single and Jared Keel doubled him home to send the
game to the ninth, 8-5.  The damage in the eighth all came off of Pelicans' reliever Jeff Lyman.

Carolina League saves leader Kevin Gunderson entered in the ninth and things got dicier after he walked

ADVERTISEMENT lead off hitter Chris Jones.  Jones scored on an ensuing double to center by Angel Gonzalez to make it a two-run ballgame.  Gunderson settled down to retire the next two batters, but an infield single from Jim Negrych coupled with a throwing error on Brandon Hicks allowed Gonzalez to score to cut the lead to one with the tying run at second base.

However, Gunderson spoiled the comeback bid by fanning Lerud to end the ballgame, securing his league-leading
sixth save in the process.

The Hillcats jumped to the lead with a run in the bottom of the first.  Angel Gonzalez led off with an infield-single to the left side of the infield and was sacrificed to second base by Greg Picart.  He scored the game's first run when the league's leading hitter, Jim Negrych, followed with a single through the right side of the infield for a 1-0 Hillcats' lead.

Myrtle Beach waited to surge to the lead in the third inning.  Ernesto Mejia, Concepcion Rodriguez and Yohan
Silva started the stanza with back-to-back singles off of Lynchburg starter Daniel Moskos.  Mejia scored on
Silva's single to tie the game at one.  Travis Jones followed and scored Rodriguez with a ground ball to first base that was taken to second base to retire Silva.  Moskos walked Hicks on four pitches to push Jones to second and put two aboard.  Manager Rocket Wheeler put on a double-steal which was successful, and Tyler Flowers made it pay off with a two-run single to run the lead to 4-1.

Silva led off the fifth inning with his second hit of the night off of Moskos, a double down the left field line.  He scored a pitch later as Travis Jones sat on a Moskos fastball and drilled his second home run of the year over the left field wall for a 6-1 lead.  Moskos (2-1) was chased following the fifth and took the loss for Lynchburg.

Jon Mark Owings delivered a solo-home run to right off of reliever Blair Johnson in the sixth inning to make
it a six-run Pelicans lead.  The fourth blast of the season for Owings moved him into a tied for second in the Carolina League.

Myrtle Beach tacked on what turned out to be a necessary run in the top of the eighth to give them the 8-1 advantage that they nearly squandered.

Pelicans starter Ryne Reynoso was again solid for Myrtle Beach.  Reynoso (2-1) beat the Hillcats for the second time this week, for the second straight start working six innings and allowing just a lone run.  The right-hander conceded just five hits and struck out five.

The two teams will play the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday night from Lynchburg City
Stadium at 6:05 PM.  The Pelicans will send right-hander Gonzalo Lopez (0-2, 4.34) against LHP Brian Holliday (1-0, 1.37) who makes the start for Lynchburg.

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