Pelicans close out first half with extra-inning loss to Wood Ducks

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (June 16, 2019)- The Myrtle Beach Pelicans overcame a three-run deficit to force extra innings, but fell 5-4 to the Down East Wood Ducks in 11 innings on Sunday night at TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.

The Wood Ducks (50-20) found the scoreboard in the top of the third inning. After a leadoff double from Tyler Depreta-Johnson, Erick Leal struck out back-to-back batters before he walked a pair to fill the bases. With the bases loaded, Sam Huff doubled off the left field wall and plated a pair that gave the Woodies a 2-0 lead. 
Myrtle Beach (21-46) cut the lead in half with a run of their own in the bottom of the third. After the Pelicans put their first two runners on base via a single and a walk, Carlos Sepulveda singled to left field and scored Grant Fennell to close the gap to 2-1. 
Down East increased the distance between themselves and the Birds with a pair of runs in the fifth inning. A single by Eric Jenkins and a walk from Leody Taveras put runners at first and second with no outs. The runners attempted a double steal and Miguel Amaya 's throw soared into left field that allowed Jenkins to score and made it 3-1. Two batters later, Diosbel Arias drove in Taveras and increased the Woodies lead to 4-1. 
Tyler Payne put the Birds back on the board in the sixth when he launched a two-run homer to left field that cut the gap to 4-3.
The Pelicans tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when the banged out four-consecutive singles off of Scott Engler to plate a run. After Cam Balego and Miguel Amaya singled with one out in the inning, Zach Davis was inserted to run for Balego and he scored on a single from Payne and the Pelicans tied it at 4-4. 
After Tyler Peyton tossed a scoreless top of the ninth inning, the Pelicans pushed a pair of runners into scoring position in the bottom half of the ninth, but Miguel Amaya flied out to right to send the game into extras. 
The Birds escaped the top of the tenth without surrendering a run and Amaya started the inning at second. Amaya advanced to third on a wild pitch and the Wood Ducks intentionally walked Kevonte Mitchell and Aramis Ademan to load the bases for Grant Fennell who grounded into a double play to end the inning.
In the top of the eleventh, a balk from Payne sent Hasuan Viera to third and he scored on a single from Yonny Hernandez that put the Woodies up 5-4 and that would be the final in 11 innings.
Sunday's game was the final game of the first half of the year for the Pelicans who finished the half with a record of 21-46. The Pelicans will start fresh on Thursday after the All-Star break when they welcome in the Fayetteville Woodpeckers for the first of four games with first pitch slated for 7:05.
The 2019 season is the 21st season for the Pelicans franchise and fifth as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For tickets visit MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/tickets, call (843) 918-6000, or visit the Pelicans Box Office.
ABOUT THE PELICANS: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs and play their home games at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since being acquired by a group led by Chuck Greenberg during the 2006 season, the Pelicans have repeatedly set team attendance records and become known as one of Minor League Baseball's most innovative and creative franchises. The team and its employees have been dedicated to making a difference in the Myrtle Beach community, specifically giving back over $2 million in donations, fundraising proceeds, in-kind services and community service since launching the Pelicans Play It Forward Community Initiative in 2013. TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in six of the last seven seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences and the best in the Carolina League for six of the past seven seasons. In June 2017, the Pelicans won the 2017 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. On the field, the team has won four Mills Cup Championships, including claims to back-to-back titles in 1999 and 2000, and again in 2015 and 2016. The Pelicans have made 11 postseason appearances behind 13 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season, second half of 2016 and first half of 2017. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or email [email protected].