Pitching leads Pelicans to series-opening win over Dash

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (May 2, 2016) - Outstanding pitching helped the Myrtle Beach Pelicans outlast the Winston-Salem Dash 3-2 in 11 innings Monday at BB&T Ballpark.

With the score tied at two, Jason Vosler, who went 2-for-5 to record his seventh multi-hit game of the season, led off the 11th with a double. A Winston-Salem (10-15) error by pitcher Colin Klevin (1-2) put runners on the corners before Cael Brockmeyer grounded out.

Daniel Lockhart then chopped a grounder towards second. Dash second baseman Toby Thomas fielded cleanly, but his throw to the plate couldn't beat Vosler, who slid in feet-first to give the Pelicans (12-11) the 3-2 advantage.

In the bottom of the frame, James Farris worked around a two-out single by Marcus Davis to fan three Dash batters for his fourth save of the season.

Myrtle Beach initially took a 2-0 lead on Yasiel Balaguert's two-run homer in the first inning.

However, from there, the Dash scratched and clawed just enough to even things late. A Brett Austin RBI groundout tied the game in the second, the only blemish on Pelicans starter Jake Stinnett's record. The Maryland product yielded just one unearned run on two hits in five innings of work, striking out three against one walk.

Tommy Thorpe took over for him in the sixth and fanned five in just 2.2 innings. However, his one mistake was a solo homer by Nick Basto in the seventh, knotting the score at two.

From there, Myrtle Beach pitching was able to work out of a couple of jams. David Berg (2-0) came into a two-on, two-out situation in the eighth to retire Thomas on a groundout, before working scoreless innings in the ninth and the 10th. In all, he tossed 2.1 frames, using two strikeouts to work around three hits to earn the win.

The Pelicans matched a season-high by striking out 13 Winston-Salem hitters against only one walk in their masterful performance.

Tuesday's matchup features a battle of aces, as Jonathan Martinez (1-1, 3.75 ERA) goes for the Birds against Winston RHP Spencer Adams (3-0, 3.46 ERA). First pitch is at 7 p.m., and coverage begins 15 minutes prior on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/broadcast and the TuneIn app.

The 2016 season is the 18th season for the Pelicans franchise and second as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2016, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last five seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last five years and the best in the Carolina League for five straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made nine postseason appearances behind 11 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, as well as five Southern Division titles, most recently in 2015. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].