The winning pitcher started the game at second base and spent seven innings in left field. He also helped produce the winning run, which was driven in by someone who had struck out six times.

Those were only a few of the curiosities in the Winston-Salem Dash's 4-3, 20-inning victory over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

More than 12 hours after their day-night doubleheader began, the Dash earned a split by winning the second-longest game in Carolina League history.

Kyle Shelton (1-0) got the victory in his professional pitching debut. Brought out of left field by manager Joe McEwing, the 24-year-old hit 82 mph on the radar gun at BB&T Ballpark. After giving up a leadoff single to Yoel Campusano, Shelton retired Cole Miles on a sacrifice, got Amadeo Zazueta to pop out and retired Michael Daniel on a fly ball to center field.

It was Shelton's first appearance on the mound since a three-inning stint in the Coastal Plain League in 2006 following his freshman season at the University of North Carolina.

In the bottom of the 20th, Ozzie Lewis and Shelton delivered one-out singles off David Francis (0-2), the Pelicans' fifth pitcher. After Luis Sierra bounced into a forceout, Chase Blackwood singled sharply to right field to end the 5 1/2-hour marathon.

In his first eight at-bats, Blackwood struck out six times, one short of the league record set by Lynchburg's Thomas Epperly in an 18-inning game on Aug. 20, 1972.

The teams combined for 52 strikeouts, with Pelicans pitchers fanning 29.

Wednesday's nightcap equaled the second-longest game in league history. Tidewater and Kinston also played 20 innings on April 18, 1967, while Wilmington beat Danville, 3-2, in 21 innings on July 5, 1998.

All but forgotten as the night dragged on was the spectacular Carolina League debut of Myrtle Beach starter Julio Teheran. The 20-year-old right-hander recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed a run on four hits over seven innings.

One of the Braves' top pitching prospects, Teheran was promoted after going 2-2 with a 1.14 ERA in seven starts at Class A Rome. The only run he gave up on Wednesday was a homer by Shelton, who had not gone deep since Aug. 7 with Class A Kannapolis.

His performance came after Randall Delgado pitched seven innings and combined with two relievers on a three-hitter as Myrtle Beach won the opener, 5-0.