Richan dominant, Birds win fifth straight

KINSTON, N.C. (May 8, 2019) -  Paul Richan was brilliant through six innings as the Birds won their fifth game in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Down East Wood Ducks on Wednesday afternoon from Grainger Stadium. 

After a quiet first inning, Down East (23-10) scored a run in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI double from Melvin Novoa that plated Diosbel Arias to make it 1-0 Woodies. 
That run was the last run allowed by Paul Richan (3-2) who pieced together his best start of the season for the Birds. 
The right hander went a season-best six innings and allowed just one run on five hits, while striking out a career-best eight batters and not walking a batter.
The Birds gave Richan some run support with four runs that were scattered across four innings. 
Myrtle Beach (12-21) got on the scoreboard and tied the game in the top of the third inning when Zach Davis scored on a single from Jimmy Herron to knot the game at one. 
The Pelicans took their first lead of the afternoon in the sixth when Jhonny Bethencourt drove in Cam Balego on a sacrifice fly to put the Birds in front 2-1. 
After Tyler Payne singled home a run in the seventh to make it 3-1, the Birds added their fourth run of the game in the eighth when Miguel Amaya drew a bases loaded walk to extend the lead to 4-1. 
Novoa drove in a run for the Woodies in the bottom of the ninth inning, but Brian Glowicki was able to nail down the save as he struck out Eric Jenkins to end the ballgame and secure the 4-2 win for Myrtle Beach.
Cole Uvila (3-1) was tagged for the loss for Down East. 
The Birds will go for their second-consecutive sweep on Thursday night against the Wood Ducks with first pitch slated for 7:00 p.m.Javier Assad (1-3, 3.38) will start for Myrtle Beach, while Reid Anderson (2-0. 1.35) will go for the Woodies. Coverage starts at 6:45 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]