Tuesday Night Speed Round Favors GreenJackets

By Sam Weiderhaft

The game lasted two hours and 17 minutes, the shortest nine-inning contest played by Myrtle Beach this season

In a game that was over in a flash, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans fell in the opening game of the series to the Augusta GreenJackets by the final of 3-1 on Tuesday night. The gives Augusta a one-game advantage for third in the Low-A East, South standings while dropping the Pelicans to 24-30 on the season. Augusta improves to 25-29.

Both teams only collected nine combined hits, with Myrtle Beach supplying four. Ed Howard (2-4, RBI) was the only Pelican to post a multi-hit game and brought in the only run. It’s the third multi-hit performance in his last four games. Luis Verdugo (2-3, R) was responsible for the other two singles for the visitors.

Birds’ starter DJ Herz (1-3) would take his second loss of the season to Augusta, going three innings with three earned runs off three hits, two of which were home runs. Reliever Jarod Wright continued his impressive stretch with just one hit allowed through four innings, with four strikeouts and one walk.

A pair of home runs powered the GreenJackets in the series opener. Willie Carter (2-3, HR, 2 RBI) hit his fifth home run of the season with a solo shot in the second inning, while also knocking an RBI single in the game. Stephen Paolini (1-3, HR) also hit a solo home run in the second.

With seven innings of work on the mound, Augusta starting pitcher Tanner Gordon received the win with just three hits allowed and one earned run, no walks, and six strikeouts. The seven-inning outing is the longest the Pelicans have faced this season. Miguel Pena came out of the bullpen and closed the game out with one hit allowed through two innings while picking up his first save of the year.

The scoring came early for both teams as the GreenJackets jumped ahead with a pair of home runs in the bottom of the second. Carter led off the inning by blasting a solo homer to left-center field on an 0-1 pitch from Herz. After the next two batters were retired, Paolini was down to two strikes when he smashed a ball to right-center field for the second home run of the inning to give Augusta a 2-0 lead.

The Pelicans responded in their half of the third with Verdugo hitting a line-drive single to left with two outs. He advanced to second on a wild pitch by Gordon, and Howard brought him in with a liner to left field for a single. As Verdugo crossed home, Howard tried to extend his hit by heading for second but was thrown out by GreenJackets’ catcher Victor De Hoyos to end the inning.

Augusta added their only other insurance run as the first two batters worked walks off Herz to lead off the third. The lefty then got a pop-up and a flyout to record two outs before Carter came up again and singled to left field to give Augusta a 3-1 lead.

Pelicans’ reliever Jarod Wright entered the game and quieted the GreenJackets’ lineup, retiring the first eight batters he faced and only allowing one hit through four innings.

Verdugo hit a high chopper to second base in the ninth inning to bring the tying run to the plate, but Pena would cause the next two hitters to ground out to end the game.

Myrtle Beach and Augusta will meet for game two at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday night.