Pelicans Fall on Opening Night 10-3 to Woodpeckers

By Sam Weiderhaft

Despite taking an early lead, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell to the Fayetteville Woodpeckers on opening night 10-3 in front of a sellout crowd of 6,599. With the loss, the Pelicans start off 0-1 while the Woodpeckers start off 1-0 for the first time since 2019. It was the sixth year in a row that the Pelicans have dropped their first game.

In his second opening night start in Myrtle Beach, Cristian Hernandez (2-4, 2B, RBI, BB) posted the only multi-hit game for the Birds while also stealing three bases. Carter Trice (1-3, 2B, RBI, BB) brought home a run on a double. The Pelicans were held to just five hits in the first game of the season.

Reliever Starlyn Pichardo (0-1) took the loss after allowing a pair of earned runs off three hits and two walks while striking out four. Kenyi Perez gave up the bulk of the runs with five in his 1 2/3 innings. Returning Pelican Marino Santy lasted three innings in his start with two earned runs and four strikeouts while giving up seven hits.

The brand new Woodpeckers lineup posted 15 hits, with Xavier Casserilla (3-6, 2B, 3 RBI) leading the group with a three-hit performance. Oliver Carrillo (2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB) hit the only home run of the contest. Anthony Sherwin (3-5, 2 RBI) and Kenni Gomez (2-5, 2 RBI) each brought home a pair of runs.

Four pitchers appeared in the first game of the season for Fayetteville with Kelly Austin (1-0) picking up the win by posting 1 2/3 scoreless innings and striking out three. Jackson Nezuh allowed just one run across four innings out of the bullpen and starter Ethan Pecko lasted 2 1/3 framed with two earned runs and six strikeouts.

It was the Pelicans grabbing an early lead after Andy Garriola hit a groundout to short with runners on second and third to bring home Hernandez for the game’s first run.

Fayetteville answered in the top of the third with two runs. Three straight singles to begin the frame brought home the Woodpecker’s first run as Carrillo hit a liner to left to plate Waner Luciano from third. Gomez later hit a single to score the runner from third as the Woodpeckers took a 2-1 lead to the bottom half.

Myrtle Beach responded quickly in the bottom half of the third. After Hernandez singled and stole two bases to get to third, Trice knocked him in on a double to left-center field to tie the game 2-2.

Two runs for the Woodpeckers in the top of the fifth gave the visitors the lead for good. Carrillo hit a solo home run to left field with one out and Gomez later hit a single with a runner on second to bring home the second run as Fayetteville took a 4-2 advantage.

Friday’s game broke open in the seventh with Fayetteville sending six runs across the plate. With the bases loaded, Luciano was hit by a pitch from Perez. Sherwin followed with a two-run single on a line drive to center. Shane Marshall entered the game on the mound and gave up a walk to load the bases again, and Casserilla cleared the bases on a double to deep center that hit off the wall as the Woodpeckers extended their lead to 10-2.

The Pelicans scored their final run in the bottom of the seventh as Hernandez brought home his brother Alexis on a double.

Opening weekend continues on Friday night as the Pelicans and Woodpeckers meet for the second game of the series at 6:05 p.m.