Birds down Muddies behind pitching dominance in series opener

ZEBULON, N.C. (July 17, 2019) - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans pitching staff blew through the Carolina Mudcats until the eighth in a 5-2 win on Wednesday night from Five County Stadium.

The gradual scoring night for the Pelicans (15-12, 36-58) started in the third to back Jack Patterson (W, 2-0) in his start. Patterson went a career-high 5.1 innings, allowing two hits while striking out four and walking two. 
In the third, the Birds broke through against Carolina (13-14, 52-44) starter Matt Smith (L, 3-8). Following an error that allowed Grant Fennell to advance from second to third, he scored on a sacrifice fly by Carlos Sepulveda to make it 1-0 Myrtle Beach.
The following inning, Tyler Durna walked and came into score on a Tyler Payne RBI triple that staked the Pelicans to a 2-0 lead.
They increased the advantage to 3-0 in the fifth when Sepulveda crossed the plate on a throwing error from catcher Payton Henry following a Delvin Zinn single. 
In the sixth, Grant Fennell doubled in another run when centerfielder Tristen Lutz misplayed a fly ball, giving the Birds a 4-0 lead.
After a scoreless seventh, Kevonte Mitchell drove in the Pelicans fifth run on a sacrifice fly to center, plating Durna, to put the Pelicans up 5-0. 
The Muddies finally cracked the scoreboard in the eighth with a two-run homer from Mario Feliciano, cutting the deficit to 5-2.
The win marked the Pelicans' third-straight victory and their sixth in their last eight games. 
The Pelicans take on the Mudcats on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. for game two of the three-game tilt. RHP Alexander Vargas (2-2, 3.83) will take the hill for the Pelicans against LHP Aaron Ashby (2-3, 3.57) for the Mudcats. Coverage starts at 6:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast and the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Apps.
The 2019 season is the 21st season for the Pelicans franchise and fifth as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For tickets visit MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/tickets, call (843) 918-6000, or visit the Pelicans Box Office.
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].