Assad strong, Pelicans blanked in series finale

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 7, 2019) - Javier Assad fired five strong innings for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Sunday evening, but the Lynchburg Hillcats used timely hitting in a 3-0 win in the series finale at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.

Assad (0-1) whiffed four for the Pelicans (1-3) over his five innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking two. 
The Hillcats (3-1) jumped on Assad in the top of the first inning. Tyler Friis singled and Oscar Gonzalez smoked his second double of the weekend to plate Friis and make it 1-0 Lynchburg. 
The Hillcats were able to add another run in the seventh inning when Trenton Brooks led the inning off with a walk and scored on a double from Gavin Collins. 
Brooks took the tension away in the top of the ninth inning with his second home run of the season to make it 3-0 Hillcats. 
Myrtle Beach threatened in the bottom of the ninth. Yeiler Peguero laid down a perfect bunt to lead off the inning and D.J. Wilson followed that up with a walk. Jimmy Herron moved the runners to second and third after a groundout, but Jared Robinson struck out the next two to earn the save. 
Eli Morgan (1-0) dealt for the Hillcats in his Sunday start, holding the Pelicans hitless through the first three innings and facing the minimum through his six innings of work. 
Myrtle Beach will be back in action on Monday as they travel to Kinston, North Carolina to take on the Down East Wood Ducks in the first of three games at 7:00 p.m. The Birds will send RHP Erling Moreno (0-0, 0.00) to the mound. Coverage begins at 6:45 on MyrtleBeachPelicans.Com/Broadcast and the First Pitch App.
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. Since being acquired by a group led by Chuck Greenberg during the 2006 season, the Pelicans have repeatedly set team attendance records and become known as one of Minor League Baseball's most innovative and creative franchises. The team and its employees have been dedicated to making a difference in the Myrtle Beach community, specifically giving back over $2 million in donations, fundraising proceeds, in-kind services and community service since launching the Pelicans Play It Forward Community Initiative in 2013. TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in six of the last seven seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences and the best in the Carolina League for six of the past seven seasons. In June 2017, the Pelicans won the 2017 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. On the field, the team has won four Mills Cup Championships, including claims to back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2015 and 2016. The Pelicans have made 11 postseason appearances behind 13 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, second half of 2016 and first half of 2017. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or email [email protected].