RiverDogs Survive 5-4 Despite Late Rally from Pelicans

The Charleston RiverDogs held off a late rally from the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Tuesday night to win by a final score of 5-4. This game was the first game of a six-game series at TicketReturn.com Field in Myrtle Beach.

Things got interesting for the RiverDogs (2-2, 48-22) in the bottom of the eighth inning. After Over Galue walked the two batters, Stevens hit a double to make it a 5-4 game, chasing Galue out of the game. With a runner at second and third and one out, Jack Snyder came into the game. He immediately got Ethan Hearn to line into a double play, as Jacob Wetzel wandered too far off the bag and was doubled off to end the threat.

The RiverDogs got the scoring started in the top of the first inning with two runs off of RHP Porter Hodge. With two outs, Nick Schnell and Bobby Seymour walked. After a wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third, Willy Vasquez drove them in with an RBI single.

The Pelicans (1-3, 48-22) responded in the bottom half of the inning with two runs of their own. Kevin Made hit a double and advanced to third on a single from Kevin Alcantara. Then, Ezequiel Pagan knocked them both in with a single to tie the game at two but was thrown out trying to advance to second.

The Pelicans took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Felix Stevens hit a home run off of RHP JJ Goss, who started the game and went 4.0 innings, giving up three runs, six hits, and striking out five.

Neither team scored again until the top of the sixth inning, when the RiverDogs tied it at three with an RBI single from Nathan Perry, scoring Seymour.

In the top of the seventh inning, the RiverDogs brought in two runs to make it 5-3. After Ryan Spikes led off the inning with a walk, Carson Williams hit a triple to bring him in, and Schnell followed that up with an RBI single to make it a two-run lead.

Galue was credited with the win for the RiverDogs to improve to 7-0 on the season, going 3.1 innings and giving up a run on three hits, three walks and three strike outs. Frankie Scalzo Jr. (2-3) was charged with the loss for the Pelicans. Snyder went the final 1.2 innings for the RiverDogs to pick up his fifth save of the season.

The series continues on Wednesday at 7:05, as the RiverDogs look to build off of their success. The RiverDogs will send LHP Antonio Jimenez (3-3, 4.33) to the mound to battle it out against RHP Luis Devers (8-3, 2.64) for the Pelicans.