Lockhart stays hot but Red Sox snag Pelicans 4-3

Jordan Minch works two perfect innings of relief in loss

By John Vittas

April 30, 2016

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 30, 2016) - Daniel Lockhart continued his hot hitting but the Myrtle Beach Pelicans lost to the Salem Red Sox 4-3 Saturday at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.

With Salem (15-8) ahead 4-1, Lockhart came through with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, cutting into the Red Sox lead to 4-2. He has now hit in six of his last eight games.

The single came after Jason Vosler singled and Jeffrey Baez walked. After Lockhart's hit, Gioskar Amaya flew a ball to center to plate Baez and make it 4-3. However, the Pelicans (11-11) could get no closer.

Erick Leal (2-2) got the start for Myrtle Beach and ran into trouble early. With one out, he gave up a single to Mauricio Dubon before Nick Longhi singled Dubon to third. Danny Mars followed and dropped a hit over third base to make it 1-0 Salem.

The score remained the same until the bottom of the third when the Pelicans rallied with two outs. After a Shawon Dunston single, Rashad Crawford worked out a walk. Gleyber Torres followed by knocking a single into center to score Dunston and tie the game at one.

Leal continued to put up zeroes through five, giving up just one run over that span. But in the sixth, the Red Sox bats got the best of him. Three straight hits from Longhi, Danny Mars and Rafael Devers made the score 2-1 Salem and chased Leal from the game.

Jose Rosario gave up a bloop RBI double to Ben Moore before Deiner Lopez rolled a ball to third base for an infield single, plating another run to make it 4-1 Red Sox.

Travis Lakins (3-1) started on the mound for Salem and only allowed one run on two hits over six innings.

Red Sox relievers Ben Taylor and Jake Drehoff would combine to work a perfect eighth and ninth inning respectively, sealing the win for Salem. Drehoff picked up his fourth save of the year.

Myrtle Beach will turn to Jake Stinnett (2-0, 2.55) to try and salvage the finale of the three-game series tomorrow. Salem will go to Jalen Beeks (2-1, 2.25). Coveage begins at 4:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com and the Tune In App with first pitch at 5:05 p.m. on a Family Sunday with a pregame catch on the field for fans.

The 2016 season is the 18th season for the Pelicans franchise and second as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2016, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

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. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last five seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last five years and the best in the Carolina League for five straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made nine postseason appearances behind 11 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, as well as five Southern Division titles, most recently in 2015. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].