Well-rounded Performance Drives Pelicans to Shutout Win against Fireflies

By Sam Weiderhaft

Myrtle Beach gave up just two hits, earned fifth shutout win of the season

With two home runs and a two-hit shutout, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans soared past the Columbia Fireflies with a 5-0 win in Thursday night’s game. The win gives the Pelicans a two-game to one advantage over the Fireflies in the series and improves their record to 28-34. Columbia drops to 30-29 with their second-straight loss in Myrtle Beach.

The Thirsty Thursday crowd was treated to another solid offensive showing for the Pelicans after a 15-hit night yesterday. Seven hits turned into five runs with Luis Verdugo (2-3, HR, 3 RBI) leading the group with a two-run homer and three runs batted in for the game. Jordan Nwogu (1-3, HR) hit his fifth home run of the season and third in the month of July. The Pelicans have hit five home runs from five different players in the first three games of this series.

The pitching staff was unhittable as reliever Jose Almonte (1-1) earned his first win of the year with just under three innings pitched out of the bullpen with one hit allowed. Jose Miguel Gonzalez started the game and tossed 4 2/3 innings of one-hit baseball with a season-high six strikeouts. The two-hitter marked the third time Myrtle Beach has held Columbia to two or fewer hits this season.

Columbia’s two hits were spread out six innings as Felix Familia (1-4) singled in the second, and Kale Emshoff (1-2) singled in the eighth. As a team, the Fireflies walked seven times and left 10 runners on base.

The loss went to starter Rylan Kaufman (1-3) after tossing 3 1/3 innings with three earned runs off six hits, including the two homers. He also struck out five while walking three.

Myrtle Beach went on top just two batters into the game as Ezequiel Pagan doubled to right field to start out the bottom of the first. After Ed Howard drew a walk, Kaufman turned to first for a pickoff attempt and the throw went wide to the wall. Pagan came home to score to put the Pelicans up 1-0.

In the second inning, Nwogu led off by driving a 1-1 pitch off the scoreboard in left-center field for a solo shot to put Myrtle Beach up 2-0.

The Pelicans extended to their lead after Kevin Made led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single. Verdugo came up next and lined a ball down the left-field line that clanked off the foul pole for his third home run of the season and the Birds took a 4-0 lead.

Columbia let their best chance to get back in the game slip away in the top of the fifth as the bases loaded up for the Low-A East leader in home run Juan Carlos Negret. Gonzalez was taken out of the game for Almonte as the tying run came to the plate. On a 3-2 pitch, Negret struck out swinging and the bases were left loaded.

One more run came in the Pelicans’ half of the fifth inning as reliever Marlin Willis walked five batters in the frame, with the RBI walk going to Luis Verdugo.

Myrtle Beach and Columbia will face off for the fourth game of the series on Friday night at 7:05 p.m.