The Myrtle Beach Pelicans scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, beating the Salem Red Sox 7-6 Sunday night on a walk-off wild pitch by Madison Younginer. The two runs answered Mario Martinez’s two run home run in the top off the ninth which had given the Sox a 6-5 lead.
Abel De Los Santos picked up the win despite blowing his first save of the season in the top of the ninth. Madison Younginer was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs in the bottom of the ninth. Only one of the two runs was earned. Kyle Kraus picked up a no decision in a spot start for the Sox, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits in five innings.
The Sox struck first off Pelicans starter Victor Payano in the top of the first. Matty Johnson led off with a single, extending his hit streak to seven games. Johnson stole second and scored on a double by two hole hitter Carlos Asuaje to give the Sox an early 1-0 edge. After a Jantzen Witte single, Martinez bounced into a double play, which allowed Asuaje to score from third to push the lead to 2-0.
The Pelicans immediately answered in the bottom of the first. Christopher Bostick hit a fly ball to right field that was dropped by Aneury Tavarez, allowing Bostick to reach third on the error. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Preston Beck to cut the lead in half.
Each team picked up two runs in their half of the third. Martinez knocked his first home run of the night over the left field fence off Payano, a two-run shot to give the Sox a 4-1 edge.
In the bottom of the frame, Chris Garia singled with two outs off Kraus, the first Pelicans hit of the game. A batter later, Bostick doubled home Garia to cut the lead to 4-2. Beck then singled in Bostick from second to add a third Pelicans run.
Myrtle Beach squared it in the fifth. David Lyon singled to start the frame off Kraus. Lyon stole second base, and the throw by Jordan Weems sailed into center field, allowing Lyon to go to third on the error. Edwin Garcia then singled up the middle to score the run and tie the game at four.
The game stayed tied until the bottom of the eighth, beginning the wild finish to this one. Bostick started the inning with a walk off Nate Reed. After a sacrifice bunt, Reed walked Royce Bolinger to put runners on first and second with one out. Nick Williams singled home Bostick to give the Pelicans their first lead of the game.
But in the top of the ninth, Carlos Asuaje singled to start the inning against De Los Santos. Two batters later, Martinez launched a moonshot over the left field wall to catapult the Sox to a 6-5 lead. Martinez finished the game two for five with two two-run homers and four RBIs.
The Pelicans started the bottom of the ninth with a double by Edwin Garcia to right center field off Younginer. Madison then walked Vickerson to put runners on first and second. Chris Garia bunted down the third base line, beating the throw by Martinez to load the bases. The Sox brought the infield in for Bostick, who hit a grounder to third. Martinez threw home to get Garcia at the plate, but Weems’ throw to first to try for the double play bounced short and went into right field. Vickerson came around to score on the error to tie the game at six. Then Younginer’s 2-2 pitched bounced and squirted to the backstop, scoring Garia on the wild pitch and lifting the Pelicans to the 7-6 walk-off win.
Salem is off tomorrow before opening a three game series Tuesday night against Lynchburg. First pitch from LewisGale Field is scheduled for 7:05. Probable starters are still to be announced.
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