Pelicans split doubleheader, snap six-game skid

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (June 16, 2018) - After the Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell 2-1 to the Carolina Mudcats in a nine-inning affair for game one of Saturday's doubleheader from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark, the Birds took the finale by a final count of 2-0. 
Casey Bloomquist (2-0) was brilliant in his first start of the season for the Pelicans (34-35) in game two. The righty tossed five shutout innings while just surrendering three hits and not walking or striking out a batter. Tyler Peyton followed by working two perfect innings to save his sixth game of the season for the Birds, who earned their eighth shutout of the season, tied for the second-most in the league. The pair needed only 78 pitches for their blanking.

The Birds got early run support when D.J. Wilson bashed his first home run of the season to lead off the home-half of the first inning.
Jhonny Pereda made it 2-0 in the fourth when he drove home Andruw Monasterio on a base hit up the middle.
In his first career start at the High-A level, Mudcats (33-36) starter Alec Bettinger (0-1) fired six innings, only allowing the two runs on four hits while striking out 10. He did not yield a free pass. 
In game one of the doubleheader, the two sides were tied at 1-1 into the top of the ninth inning when Joantgel Segovia plated Rob Henry with a sacrifice fly to give the Muddies a 2-1 advantage. 
Luke Barker earned his fifth save of the season by pitching a scoreless bottom of the ninth inning to turn away the Pelicans.
Ronnie Gideon started the scoring in the second inning with an RBI double to center and the Pelicans tied it up at 1-1 when Pereda laced his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot, in the fourth. 
Jhon Romero (1-1) took the loss for Myrtle Beach, allowing an unearned run in the ninth. Alec Kenilvort (2-2) nabbed the win with his three scoreless innings. 
Sunday marks the final game of the first half of the season in the Carolina League. The Pelicans and Mudcats finish their five-game set with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. LHP Bryan Hudson (4-5, 5.80 ERA) goes for the Birds against Muddies RHP Conor Harber (1-3, 2.54 ERA). Television coverage begins at 6 p.m. on the CW21 and MiLB.tv while a radio broadcast starts at 5:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.
Ultimate Kids Sunday comes to Pelicans Ballpark with free inflatables, face painting and more, presented by Anderson Brothers Bank. In addition, there will be a postgame fireworks extravaganza presented by East Coast Pyrotechnics. 
The 2018 season is the 20th season for the Pelicans franchise and fourth 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].