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Pelicans Rebound for 7-3 Win Over Augusta

July 28, 2021

By Sam Weiderhaft

By Sam Weiderhaft

Myrtle Beach snaps their four-game losing streak

One night after falling victim to a walk-off home run, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans bounced back to beat the Augusta GreenJackets 7-3 on Wednesday night. The Pelicans snapped a four-game losing streak and moved up to 34-40, while the GreenJackets dropped back to 32-42 with the loss.

It was a fantastic return for Jonathan Sierra (3-5, 2B, 2 RBI), as the designated hitter collected his third three-hit performance of the season in his first game since being hit in the face with a pitch on July 16. Jordan Nwogu (1-1, HR, RBI, 4 BB) had one of the more interesting stat lines of the season, as he homered for the fifth time in the month of July while also walking four times, a season-high for any Pelicans player. Kevin Made (2-4, 3B, RBI) continued his hot streak with a triple and a single, he now has five hits in his last two games.

After giving up a home run to the first batter he faced, Jose Miguel Gonzalez (3-4) jumped right back to pick up his third win of the season after tossing five innings with three earned runs off six hits and tying a career-high with six strikeouts. Gabriel Jaramillo kept Augusta quiet out of the bullpen with three scoreless innings with a career-high six strikeouts.

The GreenJackets were held to a single hit over the final seven innings to total four for the evening. Cade Bunnell (1-3, HR, RBI) started things off with a home run to lead off the bottom of the first, and Stephen Paolini (1-4, HR, 2 RBI) hit a two-run shot in the second.

Augusta showed five different pitchers to Myrtle Beach with Estarlin Rodriguez (1-2) taking the loss after allowing one earned run in his two-relief innings. Tanner Gordon threw the first four innings while sacrificing two earned runs off four hits and five strikeouts.

For the ninth game in a row, the Pelicans fell behind first after Bunnell took Gonzalez’s first pitch over the left-center field wall for a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the first.

Myrtle Beach responded with a home run of their own from Nwogu in the top of the second. He blasted a pitch over the left-center field wall that hit off the scoreboard. The solo homer was Nwogu’s seventh of the season and fifth of the month.

The home team quickly took the lead back in the bottom half with Ricardo Rodriguez leading off the inning with a walk. Paolini followed with his fourth home run of the season to right field to give the GreenJackets a 3-1 lead.

The Pelicans bounced back in the top of the fourth with two runs to tie the game back up. Nwogu drew a two-out walk and moved over to third on Sierra’s first hit of the night. Made stepped up and rolled a single to center field that easily scored Nwogu. Paolini misplayed the grounder in center which allowed Sierra to score as well and move Made to second to tie the game 3-3.

The Pelicans took their first lead in the top of the sixth as Nwogu walked for the second time with one out and moved to second on a wild pitch by Rodriguez. Sierra hit a sharp grounder to right field in the next at-bat to score Nwogu and put the Pelicans up 4-3.

Three more insurance runs crossed the plate in the eighth and ninth innings to give Myrtle Beach a comfortable lead. In the eighth, Jacob Wetzel was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and after Matt Mervis was retired, Nwogu walked for the third time to put two runners on. Sierra then hit a sharp line drive to center field that got over the head of Paolini for a double that scored Wetzel and put Nwogu on third. Made followed with a fielder’s choice back up to pitcher Alec Barger who threw Nwogu out at home. Ethan Hearn finished off the inning with a single to left that scored Sierra.

In the ninth, Ezequiel Pagan picked up his first hit of the game with a single to start it off. Pagan advanced to second after Ed Howard was retired on a flyout to get into scoring position. Wetzel struck out but reached base on a dropped third strike as Pagan went to third. After Mervis struck out to put two away, Nwogu walked for the fourth time to load the bases. Pagan scored on a wild pitch by new pitcher Peyton Williams to extend the Pelicans lead to 7-3.

Myrtle Beach and Augusta will play game three of the series on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Both teams have split the first two games of this series.