Herz Leads Birds to Win with 9 Ks

Two early runs in the top of the first by the Pelicans set the tone for the night along with another stellar outing by DJ Herz. The game started with Ezequiel Pagan reaching on a walk. Yohendrick Pinango followed with a single to right moving Pagan to third. Two batters later Jonathan Sierra would double to score both Pagan and Pinango. The bottom half of the inning saw Augusta's Vaughn Grissom homer to left-center, which was the only earned run Herz gave up all night.

Herz pitched five complete innings allowing only two hits and one earned run with nine strikeouts and zero walks. The performance improves his record with Myrtle Beach to 2-4. Danis Correa came in to relieve Herz in the sixth and seventh. He struck out three and allowed only one hit.

The 2-1 score would hold until the sixth when the Birds extended their lead by two with a double by Sierra, a single from Matt Mervis, an RBI from Ed Howard, and a triple from Kevin Made. The score would again hold until the 8th inning when Mervis delivered a 2-run homer to right to put the Pelicans up 6-1.

Bailey Reid came in in the eighth posting two strikeouts and forcing a ground out to Luis Verdugo at second. Reid returned in the ninth to strike out two before walking Grissom who went on to score on a hit from Bryson Horne. Horne stole second then advanced to third on a passed ball. Willie Carter was hit by a pitch and Landon Stephens delivered a three run homer which put the GreenJackets just one run down. That ended the night for Reid as Jarod Wright came in. Ricardo Rodriguez grounded out to Ed Howard at short for the third and final out with the Birds on top 6-5.

The series finale is tomorrow and first pitch is slated for 5:05 p.m. Listen online here, or watch on MiLB.TV.