MYRTLE BEACH – Looking for their first three-game winning streak of the 2009 season, a ninth-inning rally for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans came up just short in a 6-5 loss to the Wilmington Blue Rocks in front of 2,890 fans Saturday night at BB&T Coastal Field.
Accoridn to a news release from the Pelicans, Wilmington got on the board early with a first inning run. Johnny Giavotella worked a one-out walk off Pelicans starter Edgar Osuna and came around to score when Jeff Bianchi grounded into a fielder’s choice. The Blue Rocks added to their lead in the fifth by cashing in singles by speedsters Adrian Ortiz and Derrick Robinson as well as Mike Moustakas to build a 4-0 lead. Osuna (3-4) surrendered four runs on nine hits over six innings of work and walked two with two strikeouts, the release said.
The Pelicans got one back in the bottom of the fifth with a solo shot off the bat of Donell Linares, the third baseman’s fifth of the year, but Wilmington responded with a pair of runs in the seventh to take a 6-3 lead. The Blue Rocks rally came following two outs to open the inning. With two gone, David Lough walked, Paulo Orlando singled, and following a walk issued to Clint Robinson to load the bases, Ryan Eigsti singled, scoring Lough and Orlando.
Myrtle Beach’s offense didn’t go away in the late innings. Blue Rocks starter Everett Teaford (5-1) worked into the seventh allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits. In the bottom of the seventh, Jon Mark Owings crushed his second home run of the season off Teaford, a monster two-run shot that hit off the top of the scoreboard tower in left field, and in the ninth, the Birds made things very interesting.
Wilmington closer Aaron Hartsock got two quick outs of Freddie Freeman and Cody Johnson, but he ran into trouble starting with a Linares single. Cole Miles, entering as a pitch hitter with an 0-1 count after a swinging strike by Owings, ripped a line drive off the glove of Blue Rocks third baseman Mike Moustakas and into the camera well. The ball was ruled a ground rule double, advancing Linares to third. Matt Kennelly followed with a deep single to left, scoring Linares and Miles and cutting the Wilmington lead to 6-5. Yet with the tying run aboard, Hartsock (10) earned the save by getting Michael Fisher to strike out swinging for the final out of the game.
The rubber game of the three-game set is Sunday night at 6:05 as the Pelicans will again go for their first series win of the season. Myrtle Beach sends lefty Jeff Locke to the mound looking for his third win of the year to oppose Wilmington’s Alex Caldera.
The Sunday evening series finale will be followed by the Pelicans’ second fireworks show of the season. Tickets are available for the final game of the series by calling the Pelicans box office at (843)918-6000 or by visiting the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
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