Potomac stifles Myrtle Beach in the series opener

WOODBRIDGE, Va. (August 26, 2019) - The Myrtle Beach Pelicans never got the offense going as the Potomac Nationals rolled to a 4-1 win in the series opener on Monday night from Northwest Federal Field. 

The Nationals (33-29, 63-66) got to Pelicans' (32-31, 53-77) starter Brailyn Marquez (L, 3-1) early in the first inning. After the southpaw struck out Osvaldo Abreu to open the ballgame, Cole Freeman singled for the game's first baserunner. 
Freeman then stole second base and scored on a single from Aldrem Corredor that made it 1-0 Potomac. The Nationals then extended their lead in the first when Jakson Reetz blasted a two-run homer to left that made it 3-0.
Potomac added on another run in the fifth inning that ballooned their lead to 4-0. Freeman singled with one out in the frame and advanced to third on a throwing error from Marquez. Corredor then chopped a ball to first where Luke Reynolds fielded and threw home, but Freeman beat the tag and scored the fourth run of the game for Potomac. 
Myrle Beach had trouble getting to Nationals' starter Tim Cate (W, 6-4), but the Pelicans finally broke through in the top of the eighth inning against Luis Reyes. Eric Gonzalez doubled down the left field line to open the inning and scored on an RBI single from Carlos Sepulveda that made it 4-1 after eight frames. 
Frankie Bartow shut down the Pelicans in the ninth to lock up the 4-1 win. 
The Pelicans will look to snap a four-game skid on Tuesday in the second game of the series against Potomac at 7:05 p.m. RHP Jeffrey Passantino (2-1, 2.10) draws the start for Myrtle Beach while the Nationals have yet to name a starter for the contest. 
Coverage starts at 6:50 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast and the MiLB First Pitch and TuneIn Apps.
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].