Myrtle Beach Falls in Extra Innings to Fredericksburg

The Pelicans took four of the six games against the Nationals this week

By Sam Weiderhaft

In another low-scoring game, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped the final game of the series to the Fredericksburg Nationals 4-3 on Sunday evening. With the loss, the Birds' lead in the Carolina League South dropped to just one game, while their magic number remains at three. Myrtle Beach’s record now stands at 44-19, while Fredericksburg improved to 32-31 with the win.

The home team collected five hits for the game with Kevin Made (2-4, HR, RBI, BB) lifting the Pelicans with a solo home run and double in the game. Jacob Wetzel (2-4, R) tallied the other multi-hit performance for the Birds. Overall, the Pelicans left six runners on base and went 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Tyler Santana started his second game of the year and lasted the first 5 1/3 frames with three earned runs off six hits and a walk while striking out a career-high-tying eight batters. The loss went to Tanner Jesson Dalton (0-1) by allowing the unearned run in the 10th.

Fredericksburg was led by Viandel Pena (3-5, 2 R) with three singles. Jeremy De La Rosa (2-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB) drove in one and hit a double in the game as well. The Nationals tallied nine hits for the game.

Jack Sinclair (4-1) took the win with two innings in relief and three strikeouts to close out the game. Starter Mason Denaburg allowed two runs with one being earned in his three innings with three hits, three walks, and a pair of strikeouts.

Myrtle Beach jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the second as the first two batters singled. With runners on first and second, Malcom Quintero dropped down a bunt to the left of the pitcher’s mound. Denaburg picked up the ball and rifled a throw that sailed over the head of the first baseman Branden Boissiere as Wetzel came in to score the first run. Josue Huma followed with a groundout to second to score Felix Stevens and gave the Birds a 2-0 lead.

The lead was short-lived as the Nationals fired back for two runs in the away half of the third. After Yoander Rivero doubled, Jacob Young hit him in with a single to left. Young was later caught stealing at second base. Later in the inning, Geraldi Diaz came up with runners on second and third and singled to left field to tie the game 2-2.

Fredericksburg took their first lead as Boissiere grounded out to shortstop with a runner on third for an RBI as the Nationals got a 3-2 advantage.

After 15-straight hitters were retired on the Myrtle Beach side from innings three through eight, Made changed the game with one swing of the bat. With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Made lifted a solo home run to left-center field for his fourth of the season to tie the game 3-3.

Myrtle Beach went to extra innings for just the third time this year as Pena started on second base in the top of the 10th for Fredericksburg. He advanced to third on a wild pitch by Jesson-Dalton and scored on a high-bouncing groundout by De La Rosa to go ahead 4-3.

The Pelicans moved their runner to third base on a groundout by Frank Hernandez to lead off the bottom of the 10th. Made came up with two outs and Huma on third as the final chance. On the first pitch, he popped one up by the wall on the third-base side in foul territory. Third baseman J.T. Arruda flipped over the wall to make and catch and end the game.

The Pelicans will travel to Kannapolis to take on the Cannon Ballers with just three games left in the first half. Game one is slated for Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.