Sports
RiverDogs Lose in Heartbreaking Fashion 4-3 to Pelicans
Myrtle Beach, SC – The Charleston RiverDogs suffered a gut-wrenching loss to the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Friday night, giving up a walk off single in extra innings to lose 4-3. This is the third straight loss for the RiverDogs, which matches their longest losing streak of the season.
With two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, Josue Huma hit an RBI single off of RHP Sandy Gaston that scored Felix Stevens to give the Pelicans (4-3, 51-22) the victory. Stevens was the ghost runner at second base. After Gaston got Ethan Hearn to strike out to start the inning, Alejandro Rivero was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Huma provided the walk off single.
The RiverDogs (2-5, 48-25), jumped on the board first in the top of the first inning. Carson Williams singled and advanced to second after Bobby Seymour walked. Then, Willy Vasquez hit his fifth triple of the season, knocking in both Williams and Seymour to make it 2-0.
The Pelicans answered in the bottom of the first with a solo home run from Kevin Made and added another run in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run from Jacob Wetzel to make it 2-2.
The RiverDogs came right back in the top of the fourth inning. Logan Allen led off the inning with a walk and took second on a base hit from Christian Johnson. Ryan Spikes struck out, but the ball got away from Hearn. Allen took third base, and an errant throw from Hearn behind the plate allowed for Allen to score to make it 3-2.
Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the eighth inning, when James Triantos, hit a solo home run to left field off of RHP Antonio Menendez to tie the game at three and sending the game into extra innings.
The RiverDogs had their best opportunity in both the top of the 10th inning, as Seymour led off the inning with a walk. Then, Vasquez tried to lay down a bunt to get Schnell and Seymour into scoring position but bunted it right back to RHP Tanner Jesson-Dalton, who threw it to third to retire Schnell. Two batters later, Oneill Manzueta walked to load the bases for Logan Allen, who grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Pelicans threatened as well in the bottom of the 10th inning against RHP Kamron Fields. Made and Ezequiel Pagan both walked to load the bases. Next, Fields got Stevens to strike out on three pitches to end the threat. Fields went 2.0 innings, giving up no runs, two walks and striking out three.
Fernandez started for the RiverDogs and gave up two runs on five hits and striking out six in 5.2 innings pitched. Gaston (2-3) was charged with the loss after giving up the walk off single. Alfredo Zarraga (1-0) was credited with the win.
The RiverDogs were just 1 for 15 tonight with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base. The Pelicans were 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position, leaving 12 men on base.
The series continues on Saturday at 7:05, as the RiverDogs strive to get back in the win column. RHP Daiveyon Whittle (0-3, 3.98) will take the mound for the RiverDogs, while RHP Richard Gallardo (4-5, 3.41) gets the nod for the Pelicans.