GreenJackets Take Friday Night’s Game 9-2 over Pelicans

By Sam Weiderhaft

Pelicans Ballpark was themed Dinosaur Night presented by Ed’s Dinosaurs Live

On another cold hitting night, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell to the Augusta GreenJackets 9-2 on Friday night. The loss dropped the Pelicans to a 3-4 record, while Augusta won their second game of the series to move to 4-3 on the young season. The ballpark was filled with dinosaurs walking through the concourse, a T-Rex first pitch, and a live dinosaur egg hatching as a part of Dinosaur Night presented by Ed’s Dinosaurs Live.

It was another tough night at the plate for the Pelicans as they collected just three hits and struck out 15 times. Reginald Preciado (2-4, 2B, RBI) turned around a four-strikeout performance last night to his first multi-hit game as a Pelican. Pete Crow-Armstrong (1-4, BB) accounted for the other hit for the home team.

Myrtle Beach struck out 18 batters as a team with Frankie Scalzo Jr. (0-2) taking the loss with five strikeouts over two innings and two earned runs with four walks and a pair of hits. Walker Powell tossed 2 2/3 innings with three earned runs off four hits and another five strikeouts.

After only scoring four runs in the first three games of the series, the GreenJackets came together for nine runs off 11 hits to claim the seven-run victory. Adam Zebrowski (1-4, 2B, 3 RBI, BB) led the visitors with three runs driven in, while Caleb Durbin (3-4, RBI, 2 BB) posted a three-hit performance and reached base five times. Four GreenJackets had multi-hit games in the win.

Kris Anglin (2-0) locked it down out of the bullpen with three innings of scoreless baseball and five strikeouts to only one walk. AJ Smith-Shawver started the game and gave up the only two earned runs in his 3 2/3 innings with four walks and six strikeouts.

Augusta took the lead first for the fourth-straight time in the series with a two-run first. After Pelicans starter Luke Little loaded the bases with two walks and a hit-by-pitch, Zebrowski hit a deep sacrifice fly to left field that brought in Durbin for the game’s first run. The GreenJackets then put on a double steal with Cal Conley taking third. Catcher Ethan Hearn’s throw was too low at third base which brought Conley home for a 2-0 Augusta lead.

The Pelicans quickly responded in their half of the second with back-to-back walks from Hearn and Peter Matt. Hearn moved over to third on his second stolen base of the series and both runs came home on a one-out double by Preciado to center to tie the game 2-2.

The visitors went back in front in their half of the fourth as Durbin worked a walk and Conley singled to put runners on the corners. After a Stephen Paolini strikeout, Zebrowski doubled down the right field like to score both runs and give Augusta a 4-2 lead.

Friday night’s game broke open in the top of the seventh as the GreenJackets packed on five runs in the inning. With one out, Brian Klein tripled into the corner in right field. He came home on a Durbin single on a grounder to left. Durbin stole second and went to third on a single by Conley to put runners on the corners. After Jarod Wright replaced Powell, he walked Paolini to load the bases. Following a Zebrowski strikeout, Brandol Mezquita hit a two-run single and Mahki Backstrom tripled to deep center to bring in two more and the GreenJacket lead was 9-2.

Myrtle Beach failed to get a hit after the fourth inning. Saturday’s game will be the fifth game of the series with both teams coming in with two wins. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m.