Pelicans split with Warthogs

In a pair of squeakers, the Pelicans topped Winston-Salem by one run in the first game of a doubleheader, but then fell in the second game by the same margin.
Myrtle Beach exploded in the first inning for four runs and received a stellar outing from Deunte Heath to secure a 4-3 victory in game one of the doubleheader. The Pelicans extended their season-long winning streak to seven games.
Gorkys Hernandez, who hadn't played since May 23rd when he injured his right hamstring against the Lynchburg Hillcats, made a triumphant return to the lineup by leading off the game with a double to right field. After Hicks grounded out, Willie Cabrera hit a single up the middle to score Hernandez. Warthogs starter Aaron Poreda followed by issuing consecutive walks to Ernesto Mejia and Travis Jones. With the bases loaded, Tyler Flowers hit a bases-clearing to left field that stretched the Pelicans lead to 4-0.
The Warthogs offensive was not heard from until the bottom of the sixth inning. Brandon Allen led off with a double to center field. Lee Cruz followed with a single to right that put runners at the corners for C.J. Retherford. He proceeded to hit his eighth home run of the season over the left field wall to cut the lead to one.
In the seventh and final inning, the Pelicans turned the reins over to closer Bryan Dumesnil. As he has done quite frequently since Kevin Gunderson was promoted to Double-A Mississippi, Dumesnil slammed the door emphatically on the Warthogs to earn his fourth save.
Although Heath surrendered the three-run home run to Retherford, he pieced together an outstanding performance to register his Carolina League leading seventh win of the season. The win is even more significant for Heath, considered he had back-to-back rocky outings entering tonight's start.
In eerily similar fashion to game one, the Pelicans raced to a large early lead, but unlike game one the Pelicans were unable to hold onto the lead and fell in game two 7-6. Even with the loss, the Pelicans earned the series win over the Warthogs. The Pelicans finished their road trip with an outstandin 6-1 mark. The Pelicans are now 22-10 on the road.
After a scoreless first inning, the Pelicans sprinted to an early advantage in the second. Ernesto Mejia led off the inning with a double to left field. Following an Eric Campbell walk, Concepcion Rodriguez loaded the bases with a single to left. Phillip Britton then hit a ground ball to C.J. Retherford at third, who committed a throwing error that allowed both Mejia and Cambell to score, while allowing Britton to reach. Jon Mark Owings followed by shredding a three-run homer to give the Pelicans a 5-0 lead.
The Warthogs began their comeback bid in the bottom of the fourth. John Shelby III led off the frame with a home run to left-center field. Then, back-to-back doubles by Salvador Sanchez and Lee Cruz cut the deficit to 5-2.
In the fifth, the Warthogs plated two more runs to cut the Pelicans lead to one. Billy Killian led off with a double to left. After C.J. Lang walked, Paulo Orlando placed a perfect sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with only one out. John Shelby III then tapped a dribbler up the third base line that Robert Marcial threw errant to first base allowing both runners to score. After the play, Phillip Britton was ejected for arguing that the second runner coming home should have been called out on a very close play.
The Pelicans added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. Robert Marcial got aboard via a bunt single and advanced to second on a balk. Then, Brandon Hicks ripped a double down the left field line to bring home Marcial.
The Warthogs battled back in the seventh. They loaded the bases on the strength of back-to-back singles by Paulo Orlando and John Shelby and a hit-by-pitch to Javier Colina. On a sprawling gem of a defensive play by Ernesto Mejia, the Warthogs plated their first run of the frame to cut the deficit to 6-5. They scored the game-tying and winning run on a grounder towards the hole by Sanchez that Brandon Hicks threw wide to first base allowing both runners to score.
The Pelicans return to BB&T Coastal Field on Friday, May 30th to take on the Frederick Keys in game one of a seven-game homestand.