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Pelicans Sweep Saturday Doubleheader with GreenJackets

The series is tied 3-3 heading to Sunday’s finale
(Larry Kave/Myrtle Beach Pelicans)
May 20, 2023

By Sam Weiderhaft Coming off three losses in four games, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans used solid pitching and timely hitting to take down the Augusta GreenJackets 3-1 in game one and 6-3 in game two. The two wins pushed the Birds to 19-19 on the season while the GreenJackets dropped

By Sam Weiderhaft

Coming off three losses in four games, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans used solid pitching and timely hitting to take down the Augusta GreenJackets 3-1 in game one and 6-3 in game two. The two wins pushed the Birds to 19-19 on the season while the GreenJackets dropped to 18-20. Saturday was also Military Appreciation Day at the ballpark, with a special ceremony in between games and the Pelicans wearing themed jerseys in the second game that were raffled off to military members.

Game One: Pelicans’ starter Nick Hull (3-0) tossed five no-hit innings with a career-high eight strikeouts in the 3-1 win. Didier Vargas earned the save in his 2023 Pelicans’ debut with two innings and one earned run. The Pelicans held a no-hitter until the sixth in the seven-inning contest.

There were no RBI in the game for the Pelicans runs were scored on a wild pitch and two balks. Reivaj Garcia (2-2) collected a multi-hit game and Juan Mora (1-3, 2B) hit a double and scored a run in the win.

All three Pelicans’ runs were charged to GreenJackets’ starter Adam Shoemaker (0-2) in his four complete innings off three hits and three walks while striking out five.

The only hit came from Ambioris Tavarez (1-3, 3B, RBI) on a one-out RBI triple in the top of the sixth. Augusta struck out 11 times as a team.

The Pelicans led off the game with a run in the bottom of the first inning. After Mora doubled and stole third, he came home on a Shoemaker wild pitch to take an early lead.

With Hull dealing on the mound, the Pelicans plated two more in the bottom of the fourth on back-to-back balks by Shoemaker to take a 3-0 lead. Vargas took over in the sixth and gave up the first and only hit of the game to Tavarez on an RBI triple to right field with one out.

Game Two: The Pelicans’ offense erupted for 10 hits and six runs as Felix Stevens (2-2, HR, 2 RBI) hit a two-run homer to power the lineup. Juan Mora (2-3, 2B) was the only other Pelican with a multi-hit performance as the Pelicans left just four runners on base.

Reliever Johzan Oquendo (4-1) gave up one unearned run in his two innings and struck out five to take the win. In his Pelicans debut, Starlyn Pichardo pitched three hitless innings in relief with just two walks and two strikeouts.

Augusta tallied just four hits as Bryson Worrell (1-4, RBI) led the group with an RBI single. The GreenJackets drew seven walks but left nine on base and went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

Landon Harper (3-2) came out of the bullpen and gave up four earned runs off five hits to take the loss. Lefty Samuel Strickland started the game and lasted just under three innings with two earned runs allowed.

Both teams scored a run in their half of the first with the GreenJackets going up first. With two outs and runners on the corners, Worrell grounded a ball to right to bring the run home.

Myrtle Beach responded with Rafael Morel’s sacrifice fly to left field with runners on second and third to tie the game at one.

The GreenJackets came back with a run in their half of the second. With runners on second and third and one out, Ethan Workinger hit a bouncing ball to Cristian Hernandez at short with the runner on third coming home to score. Hernandez threw to third to get Jair Casanova out on the play.

Stevens’ home run came with two outs in the bottom of the third just as Harper came out of the bullpen. On his second pitch, Stevens flew his home run to left-center to give the Birds a 3-2 lead. It was his fifth of the season.

The lead would hold until the top of the sixth as Augusta tied it. With the bases loaded, Oquendo hit Casanova with a pitch to bring home the tying run. The next two batters were retired to end the inning.

The Pelicans reclaimed their lead with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. After back-to-back singles, Miguel Fabrizio hit a bouncer to Justin Janas at first base as the run scored and Fabrizio reached safely. Miguel Pabon later hit a bases-loaded single to left as Casanova missed the ball coming in for the catch as another run came in. Jefferson Encarnacion finished off the scoring with an RBI groundout to first as the Pelicans extended their lead to 6-3.

Oquendo struck out three in the top of the seventh to take the win.

The Pelicans and GreenJackets will cap off the seven-game series on Sunday evening at 6:05 p.m.