Pelicans Downed by Hillcats 13-5

The 15 hits by the Hillcats are tied for the most given up in a game by the Pelicans this season

By Sam Weiderhaft

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell 13-5 to the Lynchburg Hillcats on Wednesday night to even the series 1-1. The eight-run defeat dropped the Pelicans to a 65-33 record and 18-14 in the second half. Lynchburg improved to 47-51 and 12-20 in the second half.

Ezequiel Pagan (3-4, 2 3B) led the Myrtle Beach offense with two doubles. He became the 10th Pelican and first since 2014 to record two triples in one game. The RBIs went to Juan Mora (1-4, RBI) and Kevin Alcantara (0-3, RBI, BB) as the Pelicans went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

Wednesday’s loss went to Luke Little (1-4) with four runs, three earned off four hits and three walks in his two innings. Jose Miguel Gonzalez followed with four earned runs allowed in his five innings of relief. Together, the Pelicans walked nine Hillcats in the loss.

Lynchburg turned 15 hits into 13 runs with Junior Sanquintin (2-4, HR, 4 RBI, BB) hitting a two-run home run and bringing in two more to pace the Hillcats. Joe Donovan (2-6, HR, 2 RBI) hit a solo home run and Wilfri Peralta (2-5, 2 RBI) also brought home two. The Hillcats went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

In his first appearance with the Hillcats, Alonzo Richardson (1-0) threw five innings in relief en route to the win with just one earned run and three hits allowed. Richardson walked two and struck out three in the win. Starter Trenton Denholm opened the game with two earned runs off two hits in the first inning.

The game started quickly for the Pelicans with two runs in the bottom of the first. Josue Huma led off with a triple and scored on an RBI groundout by Juan Mora. Pagan followed with a triple and later scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Myrtle Beach lead.

Lynchburg took the lead in the top of the third and didn’t turn back. With runners on the corners, Isaiah Greene singled to left field to bring in a run. After a walk to Victor Planchart, Gonzalez came out of the bullpen and gave up a sacrifice fly to Sanquintin for the second run of the inning. Another run came home on the play on a throwing error by Huma at short. Lexer Saduy hit an RBI single to round out the four-run inning.

The Hillcats made it 5-2 with a run in the top of the fifth off an RBI single by Wilfri Peralta.

Pagan tripled for the second time in the bottom of the sixth to right field to lead off the inning. Alcantara followed with an RBI groundout to second as the Pelicans brought the game within two runs.

A bulk of the Hillcats’ runs were scored in the seventh and eighth innings. After a leadoff walk, Sanquintin blasted a two-run home run to right field for his second homer of the series. Donovan followed with a solo shot to left for his fifth home run of the season to extend the lead to 8-3.

Lynchburg broke it open with a five-run eighth. Planchart hit an RBI single with runners on first and second. Sanquintin followed with an RBI single to center on a line drive. Donovan made it three RBI singles in a row as the Hillcats led 11-3. The scoring continued on a fielder’s choice by Idrogo and an RBI force-out by Peralta to extend the lead to 13-3.

Two runs came in for the Pelicans in the bottom of the eighth on a wild pitch and a double play by Triantos to make it a 13-5 game.

Myrtle Beach and Lynchburg will square off for game three of the series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.