Charleston Powers Past Myrtle Beach 6-4

By Sam Weiderhaft

Jeremiah Estrada gave up the first two home runs in his career in Friday’s loss

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans gave up three home runs to the Charleston RiverDogs in a 6-4 loss on Friday night. Charleston evened up the series at two games each with the victory and moved up to 48-20 on the season. Myrtle Beach dropped to 32-37 with the loss and fell to 16 games back of the RiverDogs in the South Division standings.

After a season-high 19 hits in last night’s 15-1 win, the Pelicans continued hitting the ball well with 11 base-knocks in game four of the series, with 10 singles. Ethan Hearn (2-4) continued his success against the RiverDogs this week with a pair of singles, while Jordan Nwogu (2-5, RBI) brought in his fourth RBI of the series. Jacob Wetzel (2-4, R) also logged a multi-hit ballgame.

In his first Low-A start, Tyler Schlaffer lasted 4 1/3 innings and sacrificed three earned runs off six hits including a home run. Jeremiah Estrada came out of the bullpen and struck out six through 3 1/3 innings but allowed a season-high three earned runs with two home runs allowed, including a grand slam.

Charleston also totaled 11 hits and blasted three home runs in the victory to account for all of their runs. Garrett Hiott (2-4, HR, 2B, RBI) hit a solo homer in the top of the second to put the RiverDogs on top. Diego Infante (1-4, HR, 4 RBI) smashed the difference-making grand slam in the fifth inning. Heriberto Hernandez (1-4, HR, RBI) provided the cushion with a solo home run in the eighth.

The RiverDogs received five solid innings from starter Taj Bradley (9-3) who picked up his league-leading ninth win of the year after allowing just two hits and striking out six. Angel Felipe earned his seventh save of the year with 2 1/3 innings in relief with just two hits allowed and a pair of strikeouts.

The visitors took the lead first for the fourth straight game as Hiott hit his second home run of the season to right-center field off Schlaffer in the second inning to put Charleston up 1-0.

The lead grew in the top of the fifth inning with Schlaffer starting out for Myrtle Beach. He walked two batters while recording one out before he was taken out in favor of Estrada. After Estrada retired the first batter he faced, he gave up an infield single to second base to Logan Driscoll to keep the inning going. Infante came up and cleared the bases with a grand slam to right field on the first pitch of the at-bat to extend the RiverDogs lead to 5-0.

The comeback was on for the Pelicans in the bottom of the sixth as the home team strung together five straight singles in the inning to score three runs. Wetzel reached base first on a fielding error by Olseivis Basabe at short. After stealing second, Wetzel scored on a single by Yohendrick Pinango to left field to put the Birds on the board. Matt Mervis followed with a single to get Pinango to third base. With runners on the corners, Nwogu grounded a ball to right field that scored Pinango and pushed Mervis to second. After a mound visit, Hearn singled to right to load the bases. Fabian Pertuz then dribbled a ball down the third-base line that was picked up by Brett Wisely as Mervis scored and Pertuz reached on an infield single to bring the Pelicans within two at 5-3.

One more run came in the bottom of the seventh as Estrada struck out three batters in the top half to bring some life in the Pelicans dugout. Luis Verdugo hit a single to center field to start off the inning with Ezequiel Pagan coming up next. On a 1-0 pitch, Pagan chopped a ball over the head of first baseman Alexander Ovalles down the line to score Verdugo as Pagan made it all the way to third on a double and a throwing error. Pagan was tagged out trying to take home on a grounder to first by Pinango.

Hernandez dealt the final blow with a solo homer off Estrada in the top of the eighth on a 3-2 pitch to right-center field to make it a 6-4 RiverDogs lead.

The Pelicans and RiverDogs will head into the weekend with the series tied 2-2. First pitch on Saturday is slated for 6:05 p.m.