Charleston, SC - Adam Boucher struck out consecutive hitters with the tying run on third base to seal a dramatic 2-1 win over the Myrtle Beach Pelicans on Thursday night at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. The win was the team’s fourth in a row, matching their longest winning streak of the season. The pitching staff has allowed just two runs over the first 36.0 innings of the series. The game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 7,389 fans.
The RiverDogs (8-5, 35-43) scored first for the fourth consecutive game. Narciso Polanco led off the bottom of the third with the team’s first hit. He immediately stole second base and raced home on an RBI double from Jhon Diaz to give the home team a 1-0 lead.
The lead doubled in the seventh inning as Woo Shin took a base on balls to begin the frame. He then stole both second and third base to move 90 feet away with just one out. With the infield in, Raudelis Martinez hit a chopper to the right side and the throw to the plate from Alexis Hernandez was errant, allowing the run to score and the lead to grow to 2-0.
Chris Villaman earned the win by tossing 5.0 scoreless innings with a career-high seven strikeouts. Will Stevens followed with 2.0 scoreless frames and Seth Chavez chipped in by putting up a zero in the eighth. Boucher took over in the ninth and allowed a single to Miguel Pabon and a double to Carter Trice. A bouncer to second from Chris Paciolla scored one run and advanced the tying run to third with one out. Christian Olivo battled for 10 pitches, but eventually struck out for the second out. Boucher then polished off Alexis Hernandez on three pitches to end the game and earned his third save.
The RiverDogs received a pair of hits from Polanco at the top of the lineup, finishing with five as a team. Myrtle Beach (3-10, 32-47) collected eight hits, two each coming from Pabon and Trice.
Ballpark Fun
The Independence Day crowd of 7,389 made Thursday’s game the most attended RiverDogs contest since 2019 and the 10th largest crowd in team history. Each of the 10 most attended games in RiverDogs history occurred on either opening night, July 3 or July 4. The standing room only crowd was treated to a fireworks extravaganza after the final out.
The series will resume on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. RHP Trevor Harrison is scheduled to make his RiverDogs debut on the mound. Meanwhile, RHP Nazier Mule (0-1, 4.50) will pitch for Myrtle Beach. A fireworks show presented by REV Federal Credit Union will follow the game on a Boeing Red Shirt Friday.
The RiverDogs continue their hunt for a fourth-consecutive Carolina League championship in 2024. The full schedule of games is available here.
Charleston 2, Myrtle Beach 1
July 4, 2024
Click here for the box score
Myrtle Beach (R-H-E): 1-7-1
Charleston (R-H-E): 2-5-0
Win: Villaman (5-1)
Loss: Wiggins (0-2)
Save: Boucher (3)
HR: Myrtle Beach: None
HR: Charleston: None
