MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (April 19, 2018) – The Myrtle Beach Pelicans came within one run of a come-from-behind win on Thursday night in a 6-5 loss to the Down East Wood Ducks at TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.

Myrtle Beach (3-12) mounted its comeback in the eighth inning, trailing 6-2 to Down East (8-7). After Vimael Machin doubled, Tyler Alamo knocked him in with a check-swing RBI double of his own down the right field line. Chris Pieters quickly followed with an RBI triple that plated Alamo and Andruw Monasterio‘s  RBI single brought the Birds to within one run. Monasterio finished 3-for-3 on the night and reached base four times. 

The Pelicans left the bases loaded in the eighth, but they threatened again an inning later. Trailing 6-5, the Birds had runners on first and second, but could not push the tying run across against C.D. Pelham, who picked up his second save.

Down East jumped out in front early on in the first couple of frames. Three pitches in, Anderson Tejeda doubled home LeDarious Clark to give the Woodies the lead. Later in the inning, a Preston Scott RBI single made it 2-0. In the second, Blaine Prescott ripped an RBI single and Tejeda drove in two more with a single to make it 5-0.

Daniel Spingola smacked his second home run of the season in the bottom of the second to get the Birds on the board. Vimael Machin rammed a third-inning solo shot of his own, his first home run of the season, to cut the deficit to 5-2 after three innings.

Jonathan Hernandez (2-1) earned the victory with 6.1 strong innings. The right-hander allowed two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking one.

Tyson Miller (1-2) was saddled with the loss for the Pelicans, allowing six runs, five earned, in his six innings of work. The right-hander struck out seven in his start. Jordan Minch (two innings) and Wyatt Short (one) combined for three shutout innings with three strikeouts to solidify the bullpen for the Birds. 

Game two of the four-game series against the Wood Ducks begins at 7:05 p.m. on Friday. LHP Bryan Hudson (1-1, 6.30 ERA) is slated to start for Myrtle Beach while Down East will counter with RHP Michael Matuella (0-1, 7.27 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, TuneIn and the MiLB First Pitch app.