FREDERICK, Md. (July 10, 2017) – Zack Short reached base six times and finished a triple shy of the cycle and Tyler Alamo recorded his first career multi-homer game Monday to help the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to a 10-7 win over the Frederick Keys at Nymeo Field at Harry Grove Stadium.
With the score tied at six, Short led off the eighth with a base hit against Frederick (37-49, 6-11) reliever Reid Love (1-3). P.J. Higgins sacrificed Short to second, and two batters later, Eddy Martinez doubled in the Pelicans (50-38, 7-11) shortstop to grab a 7-6 lead. Jesse Hodges singled to put runners on the corners and then Alamo crushed a three-run home run to widen the margin to 10-6.
Pedro Araujo relieved James Norwood (2-0), who tossed two shutout frames to earn the win. Araujo struck out the first two batters of the eighth inning before ceding a double to rehabber Chris Davis, who was pinch-run for by Steve Laurino. Ademar Rifaela singled in Laurino to pull the Keys to within 10-7.
Frederick, though, could get no closer, as Araujo whiffed three in the bottom of the ninth to end the ballgame, helping Myrtle Beach earn a series split.
Short led off the ballgame with a solo home run. However, in the bottom of the first inning, the Keys answered right back on a two-run double by Ryan Mountcastle.
Alamo started the second with a walk. Two batters after that, Connor Myers , who recorded his first three-hit game of the season, doubled to put runners on second and third. Robert Garcia followed with a double of his own to bring in both runners and put the Birds back in front. Short hit the third consecutive double to pad the advantage to 4-2.
In the bottom of the second, Glynn Davis doubled to begin the frame against Pelicans starter Scott Effross , who was making his first professional start. A two-base error scored Davis, but that was the last of the damage against Effross. The right-hander worked 3.1 innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits.
With their lead halved, Myrtle Beach immediately got the run back on Alamo’s first home run of the game, a solo shot, to begin the third, pushing the lead to 5-3.
The score would remain that way until the fifth. Rifaela walked and Mountcastle doubled to jumpstart the frame. A Shane Hoelscher sacrifice fly brought in Rifaela. Two batters later, Glynn Davis doubled in Mountcastle to tie. After Armando Araiza walked, Ricardo Andujar singled in Glynn Davis to put Frederick back on top at 6-5.
However, like they did early on, the Birds came right back. Short walked to start the sixth. Two batters later, he moved to second on a Trent Giambrone single. After Short stole third, Martinez cashed him in with an RBI single to knot the score at six.
All nine Pelicans in the order registered at least one hit, and six of the nine reached base multiple times in the win. The Birds matched a season-high with 17 hits.
Following Tuesday’s off day, Myrtle Beach hosts Winston-Salem in Wednesday’s 7:05 p.m. contest from TicketReturn.Com Field at Pelicans Ballpark. Gates open at 6 p.m. on a Wiener Wednesday, meaning buy-one, get-one hot dogs all evening long. RHP Mike Rucker (1-2, 2.93 ERA) pitches for the Pelicans against Dash RHP Alec Hansen (0-1, 4.15 ERA). Coverage begins at 6:50 p.m. on MiLB.tv, MyrtleBeachPelicans.com/Broadcast, the MiLB First Pitch app and TuneIn.