Birds Route RiverDogs 13-6 on Saturday Night

The win secured the first series victory over Charleston for Myrtle Beach

By Sam Weiderhaft

Riding off the momentum of a six-run second inning, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans won their fourth game in a row over the Charleston RiverDogs 13-6 in the fifth game of the series. With the win, the Pelicans clinch a series victory over the RiverDogs for the first time ever. Myrtle Beach improved to 52-22 and a 5-3 second-half record while the RiverDogs dropped to 48-26 and 2-6 in the second half. Saturday continued the Red, White, and Blue weekend as the fans enjoyed the second-straight night of fireworks.

Myrtle Beach used 14 hits to tally 13 runs as five different players posted multi-hit games. Juan Mora (3-6, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R) and James Triantos (2-4, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, 2 BB) powered the Pelicans with three runs batted in each. Kevin Alcantara (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R, 2 BB) brought in two more runs while Felix Stevens (1-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, 2 BB) hit his second home run of the week.

Angel Gonzalez (1-0) won his first game as a Pelican with 1 1/3 innings of relief work, allowing one earned run off three hits with three strikeouts. Johzan Oquendo picked up his third save of the year after throwing three innings and allowing three hits with three punchouts. Starting pitcher Richard Gallardo allowed five earned runs to cross the plate off nine hits and a pair of walks in his 4 2/3 innings.

The RiverDogs outhit the Pelicans 15-14 but left 10 runners on base and went 5-for-18 with runners in scoring position. Willy Vasquez (3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R) led the team with a pair of doubles. Charleston had six different players post multi-hit games with six doubles in the game.

Saturday’s starter Daiveyon Whittle (0-4) suffered the loss after allowing the six-run second inning with three of those runs being earned off four hits and two walks. Little lasted just 1 2/3 innings in the defeat.

The Birds got things going with their six-run second as Malcom Quintero hit an RBI single with runners on the corners for the game’s first run. Following a walk to load the bases, Alejandro Rivero lined a single to center to score another run and keep the bases loaded. Mora grounded into an RBI fielder’s choice that was fumbled by Carson Williams at shortstop for a fielding error. Up 3-0, Kevin Made hit an RBI groundout to third to move runners to second and third. Triantos finished the inning with a ball hit down the left-field line for a double at two runs came across to put Myrtle Beach in front 6-0.

It was a quick response by the RiverDogs as three runs came in the top of the third. Williams hit a one-out single up the middle to bring a runner on third home to put Charleston on the board. Vasquez followed with a double to center field that hit off the wall to score a run as Vasquez reached third on a fielding error. Bobby Seymour hit Vasquez home with a single to cut the lead down to 6-3.

Stevens led off the bottom of the third with a solo shot to right field for his eighth of the season to go up 7-3.

Triantos started the fourth inning with a solo home run to left field on the first pitch. It was his fourth home run of the season and third against the RiverDogs.

Charleston got two back in the top of the fifth as Julio Meza singled with runners on first and second to score a run to make it 8-4. Jelfry Marte followed with a sacrifice bunt to bring a runner home from third to trim the lead down to three.

The Pelicans continued the scoring with three runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Mora hit an RBI double with one out and came home to score on a double steal with Triantos. Alcantara lined an RBI single to left that scored Triantos to put Myrtle Beach on top 11-5.

With runners on the corners in the top of the sixth, Vasquez hit an infield single to third to score a run for an 11-6 Pelicans lead.

The Birds scored their final two runs in the bottom half of the sixth on an RBI single by Mora and a bases-loaded RBI walk by Alcantara to extend the lead to 13-6.

Sunday will feature the series finale at 7:05 p.m.