Losing Skid Continues, Pelicans Lose 4-3 to Hillcats

By Sam Weiderhaft

Down by one run in the bottom of the ninth, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans loaded the bases, but couldn’t bring the needed runs home as the Lynchburg Hillcats took their fourth game of the series 4-3 on Friday night. With the loss, the Pelicans drop the series and fall to 14-16 this season. The Hillcats improved to 17-14 with their fourth straight win.

On a night where the Pelicans racked up six hits, Moises Ballesteros (2-4) led the team with the only multi-hit performance of the night and a run scored. Andy Garriola (1-4, 2B, RBI) and Reivaj Garcia (1-5, 2B, RBI) both hit RBI doubles in the loss.

Friday marked the second start of the season for Cubs’ 2022 second-round pick Jackson Ferris, who gave up an earned run through three innings off three hits and a walk while striking out a pair. The loss went to Dominic Hambley (0-1) in his first game with the Pelicans. He stretched 2 2/3 innings with two earned runs allowed and four walks with five strikeouts.

The star of the Lynchburg lineup was Wuilfredo Antunez (3-5, 3B, 2B, 2 RBI) as he fell a home run shy of the cycle with two runs driven in. Juan Benjamin (2-5, 2 RBI) also brought home a pair of runs to help the offensive effort. Nate Furman (2-3, 2 BB) reached base four times and scored three runs from the leadoff spot.

The win went to Jack Jasiak (1-0) after shutting down the Pelicans with 2 1/3 shutout innings and just one hit and one walk allowed. Samuel Vasquez got into trouble in the ninth with three walks but struck out two and earned the save by keeping Myrtle Beach at three runs.

Lynchburg scored first for the fourth time this week with a run in the top of the third. With Furman on third, Antunez lined a triple to right field to easily score the run.

It didn’t take long for the Birds to respond as they tied the game in the fourth. With two outs and Ballesteros on second, Garriola smacked a double to left that scored the run and evened the game.

The lead flipped twice in the fifth inning as both teams scored to go ahead. With runners on the corners, Antunez hit a bloop single to left that plated Furman and put the Hillcats in front 2-1.

The Pelicans answered back with two runs to take their first lead. Reginald Preciado hit a sacrifice fly with runners on the corners to tie the game and Garcia hit a two-out double to score Pedro Ramirez from first as the Birds took a 3-2 lead.

It was a short-lived advantage with Lynchburg bringing home two in the top of the sixth. With two outs and runners on second and third, Juan Benjamin hit a slow rolling ground ball up the first base line. Catcher Miguel Pabon picked it up just as the ball trickled back on the line in fair territory as both runners came home to score to give the Hillcats the lead back 4-3.

Myrtle Beach made things interesting in the ninth down by just a run. Vasquez walked the bases loaded but got Garcia to ground out to second for the final out of the game.

The Pelicans will try and snap their losing skid with game five of the series on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.