Errors Haunt Pelicans in 10-2 Loss to Woodpeckers

By Sam Weiderhaft

The first weekend of the season wrapped up on Sunday as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped the final contest to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers 10-2. With the loss, the Birds slipped to 1-2 while the Woodpeckers improved to 2-1 and won the series.

After posting a 15-hit performance on Saturday, the Pelicans’ lineup was held to just 3 as Jefferson Encarnacion (0-3, RBI, BB) brought home the only RBI. Drew Bowser (1-3, BB) and Reginald Preciado (1-3, BB) reached base twice in the loss.

Despite striking out five in his Pelicans’ debut, Alfredo Romero (0-1) took the loss with four runs, one earned allowed off five hits and a walk. Dominic Hambley sacrificed four earned runs in two innings of relief work with four strikeouts. It was a disastrous night in the field as the Pelicans committed six errors in the third game of the season.

The Woodpeckers collected double-digit hits for the second game of the weekend, posting 14 in the win. Fernando Caldera (2-5, 2 RBI) smacked two RBI singles to lead the Fayetteville lineup. Juan Santander (3-5, RBI) led the lineup with a three-hit performance.

Yeriel Santos (1-0) tossed four shutout innings of solid relief work with six strikeouts and just one hit allowed. Starter Alain Pena struck out five in 3 1/3 innings with two runs, one earned in his season debut.

For the first time this weekend, the Woodpeckers scored first with a run in the top of the second. With two on and two out, Caldera grounded a single up the middle to score the run from second and put the Woodpeckers in front 1-0.

Myrtle Beach tied it up in the bottom of the third. With Christian Olivo on second, Cristian Hernandez hit an infield second to shortstop. The throw by Alberto Hernandez to first went wide as Olivo scored and Hernandez went to second.

A three-run fourth put the Woodpeckers in front for good. With two outs and a runner on third, Caldera blooped in a single to right to plate the run. After a walk and a pitching change, Anthony Sherwin reached on a fielding error by Bowser at first as both runners came home to score to extend the Fayetteville lead to 4-1.

One more run scored for the Pelicans in the bottom of the fourth as Bowser scored from third on a fielder’s choice by Encarnacion.

Luis Perez knocked in a run for the Woodpeckers in the top of the fifth on an RBI single. The Woodpeckers would later put the game out of reach with a four-run seventh on RBI singles by Santander, Yamal Encarnacion, a wild pitch and a throwing error.

The Woodpeckers topped it off with one run in the ninth on a wild pitch to make the score 10-2.

The Pelicans hit the road for their first six-game set against the Columbia Fireflies with the first game on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.