Pelicans Surrender 10 Hits, Lose Game Four to GreenJackets

By Sam Weiderhaft

Birds will be held without a series win after dropping their third game of the set

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped their third game of the series to the Augusta GreenJackets by the final of 6-1 on Friday night. Augusta now holds a 3-1 advantage after the first four games. The Pelicans fall to 25-32 with the loss, while the GreenJackets jump to 27-30.

The Pelicans hitting struggled all night, as the lineup only collected five hits and one run in the game. Matt Warkentin (1-3, 2B, RBI) picked up the only RBI with a double in the final frame. Jonathan Sierra (1-4, 3B) hit his first triple of the year in the defeat.

Jose Miguel Gonzalez (2-3) started the game and picked up his third loss of the year with seven hits and four earned runs allowed in four innings. He also walked three and struck out four. Relievers Jose Almonte and Jake Reindl both allowed a run in the final four innings.

After back-to-back nine-hit nights, the GreenJackets went into double-digits with 10 hits and six runs. Braulio Vasquez (2-3, HR, 3 R) hit a solo home run in the game and came around to score three different times. Cade Bunnell (4-5, 2B, 2 R) had a fantastic night with four hits in the game.

Augusta got seven great innings from starter Joey Estes (1-3) who won his first game of the season. He allowed just two runs with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Augusta gave their starter support in the early innings and didn’t look back. Bunnell led off the first inning with a double to right field. After Cody Birdsong walked, Bryson Horne hit a line drive to center that loaded the bases. Willie Carter followed with a strikeout, but Gonzalez walked Landon Stephens to bring in the first run for the GreenJackets.

Two more runs came in for the home team in the second inning as Vasquez led off with a home run to left field on an 0-2 pitch to make it a 2-0 Augusta lead. Gonzalez then walked Jose Bermudez on four pitches and threw a wild pitch in the next at-bat that allowed Bermudez to advance to second. Bunnell hit a soft line drive to center that brought in Bermudez and made it a 3-0 ballgame.

The GreenJackets would add runs in the fourth, sixth, and eighth innings. Bunnell hit his second RBI single of the game in the fourth inning to score Vasquez. In the sixth, it was Vasquez starting with a walk and moving around the bases before scoring on a fielding error by Flemin Bautista at second base. In the eighth, Carter hit an RBI single to bring home Bunnell and extend the Augusta lead to 6-0.

The Pelicans scored their lone run in the ninth inning. Bryan Serra came up for his first at-bat with the Pelicans and hit an infield single to third base. Jordan Nwogu was hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, and Warkentin hit Serra in with a double to left field for his first RBI with the team.

The Pelicans and GreenJackets will begin the weekend with a 6:05 p.m. first pitch on Saturday for game five of the series.