RidgeYaks Offense Sputters in 7-2 Loss to Pelicans

SALEM, Va. – The Salem RidgeYaks (26-43, 1-3) managed just four hits and were held scoreless through the first five innings as the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (29-39, 2-2) opened the series with a 7-2 victory Tuesday afternoon at Carilion Clinic Field.

In what was an early 12:05 p.m. start for Camp Day at the ballpark, it was the RidgeYaks who experienced the wake up call.

Myrtle Beach struck first in the second inning. After Logan Poteet tripled with one out, Derniche Valdez lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, allowing Poteet to score and give the Pelicans a 1-0 lead.

The Pelicans added to their advantage in the fourth. Following a pair of walks and a single, Alexey Lumpuy lined a two-run single into left field, scoring Michael Carico and Valdez to extend the Myrtle Beach lead to 3-0.

Salem starter Barrett Morgan suffered the loss despite striking out four over three innings. Morgan allowed two runs on five hits before giving way to the bullpen. Jay Allmer, Harry Blum and Adam Bates combined to cover the final six innings.

Myrtle Beach tacked on another run in the sixth when a throwing error on a back pick attempt by Kleyver Salazar allowed Darlyn De Leon to score, pushing the lead to 4-0.

The RidgeYaks finally broke through in the bottom half of the inning. Andrews Opata reached on a single and eventually came around to score when Adonys Guzman lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, trimming the deficit to 4-1.

Any momentum was short-lived, however, as Myrtle Beach answered in the seventh. Eli Lovich reached on a walk before Logan Poteet launched a two-run homer to left field, his 14th long ball of the season, stretching the Pelicans' lead to 6-1. It marked the fourth straight game Poteet has homered in.

Salem showed life again in the eighth when Skylar King connected on a solo homer to right field. King's eighth homer of the season cut the deficit to 6-2 and accounted for the RidgeYaks' lone extra-base hit of the afternoon.

The Pelicans added an insurance run in the ninth when Carico lined an RBI single to center, scoring Lovich for the game's final run.

Myrtle Beach pitchers combined to hold Salem to four hits while striking out nine. Reliever Riely Hunsaker earned the win after tossing four scoreless innings. Salem stranded six runners and went 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position.

King and Opata each scored a run for Salem, while Avinson Pinto collected a pair of hits. Guzman and King drove in the RidgeYaks' two runs.

The RidgeYaks will look to even the series with the Pelicans on Wednesday night at Carilion Clinic Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Leighton Finley will get the baseball for the Yaks against the southpaw Hayden Frank for Myrtle Beach.

Game Notes:

• Salem and Myrtle Beach met for the first time since May 5, 2024
• It was the 410^th all-time meeting between Salem and the Pelicans, the second most played series by Salem among active Carolina League teams
• Barrett Morgan failed to go four innings in a start for the first time since his May 8
• Adonys Guzman’s eight-game hitting streak is snapped as he went 0-for-3 in the ballgame
• Avinson Pinto went 2-for-3 with his tenth multi-hit game of the season
• Andrews Opata stole his team leading 30^th base of the season, Opata now sits six stolen bases back of Tate Southisene (AUG) for the league lead
• Salem’s three thru nine hitters went a combined 2-for-23 (.087)
• Sylar King’s eighth inning home run was his eighth of the season and ninth of his career
• The eight homers for King gives him a share of the team lead with Starlyn Nunez and places him 10^th in the Carolina League in home runs
• Justin Barry has now successfully reached in all four of his career Single-A games
• Anderson Fermin’s second inning walk extends his on-base streak to five-games

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