MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – As the great Vin Scully would say, it was deuces wild in the opener of a four-game set for the Pelicans and Frederick Keys at BB&T Coastal Field. Unfortunately for Myrtle Beach, the vast majority of twos resided on top line of the scoreboard.

The Keys used five different two-run innings to beat the Pelicans 11-2 in front of 4,585 for the series opener.

Frederick got on the board in the top of the first inning against Pelicans starter Cole Rohrbough on a solo homer by Brandon Waring and a run-scoring single by Robbie Widlansky. The Pelicans cut the deficit in half with a run of their own in the bottom of the second, combining a Donell Linares double with a Cody Johnson single. From then, however, it was all Keys.

Frederick touched up Rohrbough (3-4) for six runs—five earned—on nine hits. The Pelicans lefty didn’t make it out of the fifth inning, having allowed another pair of runs in the fourth and getting charged with two in the fifth on a two-out, two-run single by Pedro Florimon, Jr. off Myrtle Beach reliever Brandon Beachy. Including Beachy, three Pelicans relievers combined to surrender five more as the Keys added two runs in the seventh, two in the eight and one more in the ninth.

Donell Linares was the lone offensive bright spot on an otherwise frustrating night for Myrtle Beach. The Cuban third baseman went 4-for-4 with a double and a run scored. The Pelicans, however, went 2-for-10 as a team with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base.  Myrtle Beach committed a pair of errors in the field as well.
 
The Pelicans resume their final first-half series of 2009 tomorrow night. First pitch for game two of the three-game series Saturday night is scheduled for 7:05. Wrestling legend George “The Animal” Steele will be on hand for the middle game of the series, and fireworks are set for Sunday night’s finale. Tickets for the set are available at the BB&T Coastal Field box office, by calling the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or by visiting the Tickets page at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.