Pelicans Fall on Friday Night to RiverDogs 5-3

By Sam Weiderhaft

With the bases loaded and the winning run at first base, Alfonsin Rosario popped up to right field for the final out as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their first game of the week 5-3 to the Charleston RiverDogs on Friday night. The loss snapped the season-long four-game winning streak. The Pelicans’ record stands at 22-26 while the RiverDogs improved to 20-28.

All three runs came in on home runs as Alexis Hernandez (2-4, HR, 2 RBI) and Rosario (2-4, HR, RBI) each went deep in the loss. Jacob Wetzel (2-5, 2B) posted a multi-hit game to extend his hitting streak to eight games.

In his first Single-A start, Nazier Mulé (0-1) took the loss with three earned runs in two innings while walking two and allowing two hits with one strikeout. Erian Rodriguez followed with two more earned runs allowed in his three innings. The Pelicans walked eight in the loss.

In his first game of the series, Joshuan Sandoval (2-3, HR, 2 RBI) led the RiverDogs’ order with a two-run homer. Blake Robertson (2-4, 2B, RBI, BB) collected two hits and drove in one. Charleston went 5-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

With a career-high 10 strikeouts in five innings, Santiago Suarez (3-4) earned the win with three earned runs allowed. The bullpen held the Pelicans at three runs as Seth Chavez picked up the save with two shutout frames.

The RiverDogs scored first for the fourth time this series as Sandoval went deep on his first home run of the season to left field in the second inning bringing home two.

Another run for Charleston came in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Wooyeoul Shin to right field for a 3-0 advantage.

Hernandez struck in the bottom of the third for the Pelicans on a two-run homer to left field. It was his second homer of the season and broke an 11-game hitless streak.

Charleston added two more runs in the top half of the fourth. With runners on the corners, Narciso Polanco hit a bloop single to shallow center that scored a run. Robertson later hit a two-out single to right field to extend the lead to 5-2.

Rosario led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left-center to make it a two-run game. It was his fifth big fly of the season.

The Pelicans had life in the bottom of the ninth, as Reggie Preciado reached on a fielding error in right field with two outs and Wetzel doubled. After a walk to Cristian Hernandez loaded the bases, Rosario flew out to right to end the game.

Myrtle Beach and Charleston meet for the fifth game of the series on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m.