Flete leads offensive surge as Birds defeat Dash

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (May 11, 2017) - Bryant Flete  finished a triple shy of the cycle to lead an offensive barrage in Thursday's rubber match, helping the Myrtle Beach Pelicans beat the Winston-Salem Dash 9-7 at BB&T Ballpark.
Down 5-4 in the sixth, Flete and Trent Giambrone began the frame with back-to-back singles for Myrtle Beach (19-15). Two batters later, Jesse Hodges delivered a two-run double to left off Winston-Salem (12-22) starter Tanner Banks (4-1) to give the Birds the 7-6 advantage.

Myrtle Beach extended their lead in the top of the seventh inning. Daniel Spingola drew a one-out walk to set up Flete, who launched a two-run home run over the right field wall to extend the Birds lead to 9-6. Flete's four RBIs tied a career-high from his April 30th explosion at Lynchburg.
The final run of the game would be added in the bottom of the eighth inning, as the Dash launched their first homer of the series. With nobody on in the inning, Zack Collins blasted a solo home run to right field to bring the Dash within 9-7.
Craig Brooks came on in the bottom of the ninth inning to try and lock down the finale of the three-game set. The Dash loaded the bases, but Brooks struck out Luis Alexander Basabe swinging to complete his third save of the year. 
Winston-Salem dashed out an early advantage. Basabe started the frame with a base hit for the Dash, then advanced all the way to third following an error and a wild pitch. The next batter, Ronald Bueno, ripped an RBI double into the left field corner, scoring Basabe and giving Winston-Salem the 1-0 advantage.
The Birds would strike back in the following inning with a crooked number in the second. Tyler Alamo and Spingola kicked off the inning with back-to-back hits. Flete then laced a two-run double to left-center, putting the Birds at a 2-1 advantage. Giambrone traded places with Flete, as the Pelicans shortstop doubled to right field, adding another run to the Birds lead. Giambrone came in to score on an error to make things 4-1. 
The Dash would snag a run back in the bottom of the second inning. With one out in the frame, Johan Cruz collected an infield single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Danny Mendick rifled a base hit to left field to plate Cruz and make the score 4-2. Back-to-back hits from Basabe and Bueno drove in Mendick, making it a 4-3 contest. 
In the third, Louis Silverio drew a leadoff walk, Jeff Gelalich joined Silverio on-base as he hit a base hit back up the middle. A bloop single by Cruz loaded the bases with nobody out against Pelicans reliever Kyle Miller (1-1). Two batters later, Mendick would notch an infield single to score Silverio and knot the game at four. A fielder's choice then brought in Gelalich, giving the Dash the 5-4 advantage.
In the top of the fifth, the Birds would tie the game again. After the first two Myrtle Beach batters were retired, Spingola kept the inning alive with a two-out triple. Spingola came in to score on the very next batter, as Connor Myers delivered an RBI infield single to knot the game back up at five. 
The Dash took their third lead of the game in the bottom half of the fifth. With one out in the inning, Gelalich and Fincher hit back-to-back doubles to place Winston-Salem back in front at 6-5.
Led by Flete's three hits, Giambrone, Alamo and Spingola also notched multi-hit games. The Pelicans' 14 knocks were their second-most of the season. 
Myrtle Beach will kickoff a seven-game homestand with Friday's 7:05 p.m. contest against the Lynchburg Hillcats. LHP Justin Steele (1-2, 3.42 ERA) against Lynchburg's RHP Shao-Ching Chiang (4-1, 1.83 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.
The Pelicans will wear special Pilgrim jerseys on Friday for Thanksgiving in May. All fans have the option to upgrade their ticket for an All-You-Can-Eat Turkey Buffet for just $15. For more information, visit www.MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/FoodieFriday.
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].