Myrtle Beach, SC - The RiverDogs overcame a five-run deficit to take a late lead but couldn’t hang on and Myrtle Beach handed the ‘Dogs an 8-6 loss on Friday night at Pelicans Ballpark.
The loss is Charleston’s fourth straight loss – all coming at the hands of the rival Pelicans. The RiverDogs drop to 6-7 in the second half, under .500 for the first time in the half.
Myrtle Beach used situational hitting to score twice in the first inning, as Leonel Espinoza and Owen Ayers both poked sacrifice flies to open a 2-0 lead.
The lead swelled thanks to two big flies in the third inning. With Ty Southisene on second, Jose Escobar popped a 2-run home run to right. Two batters later, Matt Halbach launched a solo shot to push the deficit to 5-0.
The third inning marked the end of RiverDog starter Jayden Voelker’s night.
The RiverDogs got a run back in the top of the fourth, as Larry Martinez doubled home Connor Hujsak to cut the lead to 5-1.
Danny Hilario followed Voelker on the mound for his Single-A debut and silenced the Pelicans’ bats for three innings, allowing just one hit and striking out two.
Charleston changed the game in the top of the seventh, batting around to tally five runs on four hits.
Polanco drove in the first run of the inning on an infield single that scored Xavier Guillen – his third of four hits in the game. Hujsak followed with a poke into left center to push in Theo Gillen, trimming the score to 5-3.
Angel Mateo kept the line moving with a pop-up behind first base that dropped for an RBI single. With the bases loaded and one out, Martinez tied the game with a bases-loaded walk.
After a pitching change, Jose Perez walked with the bases loaded, giving the RiverDogs their first lead of the game, 6-5.
The lead was brief, as Myrtle Beach snatched it back in the bottom of the inning. Ayers drove in two runs on a single, making it 7-6 Pelicans.
Espinoza tacked on another run with an RBI knock in the eighth, pushing the lead to 8-6, and the RiverDogs were unable to respond in their final at bat.
The RiverDogs will play to snap the losing skid tomorrow night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 pm at Pelicans Ballpark. Charleston returns to Riley Park to begin a six-game series with Columbia on Tuesday. Tickets are available at RiverDogs.com.