Richan superb, Pelicans win series opener

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (July 1, 2019)- The Myrtle Beach Pelicans used a dominant start from Paul Richan to edge the Carolina Mudcats 4-1 on Monday from TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.

The Pelicans (6-6, 27-52) did not waste time getting to Aaron Ashby (L, 1-2) in the series opener. After back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the first inning, the Birds executed a double steal with Zach Davis and Jimmy Herron on the basepaths to set up Carlos Sepulveda who drove in the games first run on a sacrifice fly.
Carolina (6-6, 45-36) evened the ballgame at one run a piece in the top of the second inning when Trever Morrison lashed a double down the left field line to score Eddie Silva from second.
Myrtle Beach responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the second. Grant Fennell led the inning off with a single and after a walk to Kevonte Mitchell , Yeiler Peguero laid down a sacrifice bunt to send the runners second and third with one out in the frame. Davis then brought in a run on an RBI groundout that made it 2-1 and the Birds added another when Mitchell scored after an error and the Birds took the lead to 3-1. 
In the fifth, the Pelicans extended the lead to 4-1 when Miguel Amaya came in to score after a pair of errors from Carolina. 
Paul Richan (W, 8-3) was lights out for Myrtle Beach tonight. The righty went a career-high seven innings and allowed just a run on four hits and tied a career best with nine strikeouts to earn his eighth win of the year. 
After Manuel Rondon tossed a scoreless eighth, Garrett Kelly retired the side in order for the Pelicans and earned his third save of the year in the Birds 4-1 win. 
The Pelicans will look to win the series on Tuesday night at 7:05 p.m. LHP Ryan Kellogg (1-5, 4.80) will take the hill for the Birds against RHP Nelson Hernandez (8-5, 4.72) for the Mudcats. Coverage will begin at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv and on the Pelicans Baseball Network which is available on the TuneIn App, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast and MiLB First Pitch app.
Tuesday will be a $2 Tacos and Tallboys Tuesday presented by Abuelo's Mexican Restaurant, Better Brands and 106.5 Nash FM. Tacos and Tallboys are just $2 from 6-8 p.m. 
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].