KINSTON, N.C. (June 15, 2017) – Justin Steele fired five scoreless innings, and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans registered a club record third consecutive shutout Thursday in blanking the Down East Wood Ducks 7-0 at Grainger Stadium.
Dating back to Monday’s contest against Frederick, the Pelicans (41-26) have now gone 31 straight innings without surrendering a run, the longest roll in recorded club history (through the 2005 season). Myrtle Beach had never before recorded three consecutive shutouts. The Pelicans also pitched their league-high 10th blanking, including their fifth in the last 10 contests.
Steele (5-3) scattered four hits and three walks in his five frames, whiffing five. He yielded to Dakota Mekkes , who worked a scoreless sixth and seventh inning. Tommy Thorpe pitched a blank eighth before Kyle Miller and Scott Effross teamed up to finish off the Wood Ducks (23-43) in the ninth – Myrtle Beach’s 18th win in the last 22 games. The Birds’ 13-1 start to June is the best beginning to any month in recorded club history.
Matt Rose singled to jumpstart a scoreless second before moving to second on a walk by Tyler Alamo . After Eddy Martinez struck out, Tyler Pearson reached first on a free pass to load the bases. Robert Garcia then lofted a sacrifice fly to cash in Rose, the first run of the game.
The score would stay that way until the fifth. Wood Ducks starter Richelson Pena (4-3) walked Andruw Monasterio with one out. Bryant Flete then clobbered a two-run home run to increase the Birds’ lead to 3-0.
In the seventh, a pair of errors on the same play placed Pearson on third base. Two batters later, Monasterio singled in Pearson to make it 4-0.
With the same tally in the ninth, another error put Pearson on to star the frame. After a fielder’s choice exchanged Garcia for Pearson on first, Monasterio walked. Two batters after that, Trent Giambrone smashed a three-run homer to left-center to pad the Pelicans lead at 7-0.
Myrtle Beach looks to win their seventh game in a row in Friday’s 7 p.m. contest. RHP Mike Rucker (1-0, 1.80 ERA) takes the ball for the Birds against RHP Jonathan Hernandez (0-2, 12.38 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:45 p.m. on MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.
Courtesy: MB Pelicans