Myrtle Beach lit up the scoreboard first in the bottom of the 2nd inning. Pelicans C Clint Sammons drew a lead off walk and moved to third a batter later after DH Mike Rozema delivered a base hit to right. Potomac starter Ricardo Morales struck out the next two batters he faced, but then walked LF Willie James to load the bases. The Pelicans didn’t need a clutch hit to score the first run of the night as Morales uncorked a wild pitch, which allowed Sammons to stroll across the plate, making the score 1-0.
The Pelicans held on to their one-run edge until the top of the 7th inning when the Nationals struck for a pair of runs to take the lead, 2-1. After a lead-off single from SS Seth Bynum and a double courtesy of LF Marvin Lowrance, the Nats tied the game up on a sacrifice fly to centerfield off the bat of DH Luke Montz. Potomac took the lead when 2B Trey Webb knocked a run on a fielder’s choice.
Potomac didn’t hold a lead for long. In the bottom of the 8th inning with one out and nobody on the base paths Sammons put a charge into a 3-1 pitch, from reliever Jeremy Plexico, over the Palmetto trees beyond the left field wall, tying the game at 2-2. The solo home run was the Pelicans second long ball of the season, the first by Sammons.
In the top of the 10th, Potomac was retired in order by Pelicans reliever Dan Smith (W, 1-0), and the Birds seemingly had all of the momentum on their side. SS Diory Hernandez led off the bottom half of the 10th with a base hit to right. Pope was then plunked by a pitch to put two runners on board. Sammons followed with a soft grounder back to the mound which prompted the Nationals pitcher, Kyle Strayhorn, to attempt a throw to third, but Hernandez beat the throw to load the bases. With the sacks full and no outs Rozema hit a grounder to second and Nats 3B Trey Webb fired a throw to the plate to keep the game-winning run from coming across to record a critical out. With one down and the bases still full, Schade picked an opportune time to drive in his first run of the season as he knocked the game-winning single to centerfield and the Pelicans celebrated a game-one victory over the Nats, 3-2.
Smith earned the victory in relief by tossing two scoreless innings in which he struck out four batters. The starter for Myrtle Beach, Luis Atilano, gave up two runs, one of them earned on five hits, in seven innings of work (the longest a Pelicans starter has lasted in `06). Wes Letson also tossed a scoreless inning out of the pen. Potomac starter Ricardo Morales left after pitching six innings in which he allowed one run on three hits. He fanned three and walked four in the no-decision. Reliever Kole Strayhorn (L, 0-1) was charged with the loss after allowing the eventual game-winning runner to reach in the 10th.
Offensively for the Pelicans Pope extended his hitting streak to nine straight games with a 1-4 night at the plate. Sammons connected for his first homer of the year and drove in his third RBI in the last two games, in a 1-4 effort. Six of the nine Pelicans batters collected a hit in the victory.
On Saturday night the Pelicans and Nationals square off in game two of the three-game series. Myrtle Beach sends RHP Charlie Morton (0-1, 9.00 ERA) to the mound to make his first start of the season. Potomac will counter with LHP Clint Everts (0-0, 12.00 ERA), the #3 prospect in the Washington Nationals organization. Game time is set for 7:02 pm, gates will open at 6:02 pm. For tickets call 843-918-6000.
