Birds drop series opener at Down East

Pelicans lost for the sixth time in seven games in 10-2 defeat

Eddy Martinez reached base four times in Friday's 10-2 loss at Down East. (Larry Kave/Myrtle Beach Pelicans)

By Scott Kornberg

June 30, 2017

KINSTON, N.C. (June 30, 2017) - Eddy Martinez rapped out three hits, but the Myrtle Beach Pelicans struggled in Friday's 10-2 loss to the Down East Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium.The game was scoreless when an error put Franklin Rollin and Brallan Perez doubled to start the third. Matt Lipka followed with an

KINSTON, N.C. (June 30, 2017) - Eddy Martinez rapped out three hits, but the Myrtle Beach Pelicans struggled in Friday's 10-2 loss to the Down East Wood Ducks at Grainger Stadium.
The game was scoreless when an error put Franklin Rollin and Brallan Perez doubled to start the third. Matt Lipka followed with an RBI single against Pelicans (45-33, 2-6) starter Mike Rucker (1-2) to get Down East (29-48, 5-3) on the board. Two batters later, Yanio Perez lifted a sacrifice fly to center to make it 2-0.

Evan Van Hoosier started the fourth with a double. Two batters later, a Chuck Moorman single brought him around to score to increase the advantage to 3-0. Van Hoosier struck a three-run homer off Rucker in the fifth to widen the margin to 6-0.
Wood Ducks starter Wes Benjamin (6-6) scattered five hits without walking a batter in his six innings. He struck out four to earn the win.
With Benjamin out of the game in the seventh, the Pelicans finally put a crooked number on the scoreboard. Martinez, who reached base four times, singled to start the frame against reliever Tyler Ferguson. Matt Rose followed with an RBI double before moving to third on a wild pitch. A Tyler Pearson RBI groundout put the score at 6-2.
Down East responded in a big way in the bottom of the seventh. Lipka walked and stole second before moving to third on a single by LeDarious Clark. Perez followed with an RBI single before Luis La O was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Preston Scott doubled in two runs. He was followed by Moorman's RBI single to make it 10-2.
Myrtle Beach has dropped six of their last seven and sends LHP Justin Steele (5-4, 2.39 ERA) to the bump in Saturday's 6 p.m. contest against Wood Ducks RHP Richelson Peña (4-3, 3.11 ERA). Coverage begins at 5:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.
The 2017 season is the 19th season for the Pelicans franchise and third as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. For information on tickets to see the Pelicans in 2017, please call (843) 918-6000, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.
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. The park has ranked in the top eight in all of Minor League Baseball by Stadium Journey in each of the last six seasons. The same publication also placed the Pelicans in the Top 100 Stadium Experiences in all of sports in each of the last six years and the best in the Carolina League for six straight seasons as well. In May 2015, TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark won the 2015 TripAdvisor.com Certificate of Excellence award. The Pelicans are the two-time defending Mills Cup Champions, winning the title in 2015 and 2016 as well as 2000 and co-Mills Cup championship honors in the inaugural 1999 season. The Pelicans have made ten postseason appearances behind 12 half-season Southern Division championships, including the first half of the 2015 season and second half of 2016. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, please contact the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or emailing [email protected].