Vernon Suffers First Loss; Pelicans Defeat RiverDogs 8-3

With a final score of 8-3, the Charleston RiverDogs were defeated on Thursday night by the Myrtle Beach Pelicans. This was their second loss in as many nights.

The Pelicans (3-3, 50-22) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, as Kevin Alcantara led off with an infield single. As he was trying to steal second, a throwing error by Julio Meza allowed him to advance to third. The next batter, Felix Stevens, knocked him in with an RBI single.

They got to Austin Vernon again in the bottom of the fifth inning, as Stevens and Jacob Wetzel led off with back-to-back walks. Then, two batters later, Josue Huma hit a three-run home run to make it 4-0 in favor of the Pelicans.

The RiverDogs (2-4, 48-24) tried to make a comeback in the top of the seventh inning, scoring three runs to make it a 4-3 game. Willy Vasquez led off the inning with a double into right field. Then Oneill Manzueta hit an RBI single to get the RiverDogs on the board. Two batters later, Jelfry Marte ripped a double into center field to make it 4-2, and Ryan Spikes followed that up with double on a fly ball that Wetzel lost in the lights, scoring Marte.

The Pelicans answered in the bottom of the seventh inning against RHP Aneudy Cortorreal. With two outs in the inning Ezequiel Pagan hit a ball just to the lip of the infield grass. Meza gloved it and threw the ball past Bobby Seymour and into the right field corner, allowing Pagan to come all the way around to score to make it a 5-3 game.

Brayden Theriot came into pitch for the RiverDogs in the bottom of the eighth inning. He was greeted with four straight singles by the bottom of the Pelicans’ order. With runners at first and second, Ethan Hearn knocked a base hit into right field and advanced to second on the throw from Oneill Manzueta. Two batters later, Huma hit a sacrifice fly to give the Pelicans an 8-3 victory.

Tyler Schlaffer (3-3) was outstanding for the Pelicans, going 6.0 innings, allowing no runs, three hits and striking out seven. For the RiverDogs, Vernon (9-1) picked up his first loss of the season. He went 5.0 innings, allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits.

This series continues tomorrow at 7:05, as the RiverDogs look to even this six-game series at two. RHP Christian Fernandez (5-2, 2.79) will go for the RiverDogs, while LHP Luke Little (1-3, 3.16) will get the start for the Pelicans.

Single-game tickets are available for all RiverDogs home games at riverdogs.com. RiverDogs season tickets, flexible ticket plans, and group tickets, including options to the Segra Club at Riley Park, are available at riverdogs.com/tickets or by contacting the RiverDogs front office at 843-577-3647 (DOGS).