Story courtesy Noah Adcock-Howeth, Augusta GreenJackets
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Early offense from the Pelicans proved too much to handle in the series finale, as Myrtle Beach led from the first inning on for an 8-5 win and a five-game series sweep.
The Augusta rotation got a high-profile guest for Sunday’s ballgame, with Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep continuing his return from an elbow issue by making a rehab start for the GreenJackets. Waldrep focused primarily on off-speed command in his two innings of work, leading to four punch outs. He was rudely greeted in the first, however, as Leonel Espinoza knocked a ground ball off the glove of Luis Sanchez for a double. Jacob Wetzel worked a walk, and Andy Garriola crushed a hanging slider for a two-run double and an early lead they would not relinquish.
The GreenJackets showed fight immediately in the top of the second, as Harry Owen walked and advanced on a wild pitch from erratic starter JP Wheat, racing home on a two-out double from Luis Sanchez. After a bloop single and wild pitch scored two more off of Waldrep in the second, Augusta bounced back with two of their own. Wheat walked three and hit one in the third, before being lifted for Angel Hernandez who stranded the bases loaded after hitting a man of his own to keep Myrtle Beach in front 5-3.
In a battle of bullpens, the Pelicans possessed the advantage, and that showed through the middle innings as the home side collected insurance runs. Reibyn Corona tossed a scoreless third, but the Pelicans struck for four runs in 3 innings against David Rodriguez, who made his full-season debut. Rodriguez allowed seven hits with five coming in a 3-run 6th inning, inspired by a long solo blast from Wetzel, his 8th long ball of the year.
The combination of Hernandez, Vince Reilly, and Kenyi Perez shut down the GreenJacket offense from innings 4-8, allowing the Pelicans to build a five-run lead entering the ninth inning. Shane Marshall came on in a non-save situation and saw more traffic than he expected. Sanchez began the frame with a base hit, and Noah Williams dug in and cracked his first homer since 2022 over the fence in right to make the score 8-5. Williams went 4-11 in three games played at Pelicans Ballpark, hitting for the cycle over the course of the series. No further offense was mustered against Marshall, and the Pelicans took their 5th straight win over the GreenJackets.
Myrtle Beach now sets off on a 12-game road trip, heading first up to Salisbury, Maryland, to face the Delmarva Shorebirds and swinging into Kinston, North Carolina on the way home to battle the Down East Wood Ducks.
The GreenJackets will finally return home on July 30, hosting the Wood Ducks for the first and only time in their final season of existence before moving to Spartanburg. Tickets for the week’s slate of games can be found at greenjacketsbaseball.com or by calling (803) 349-9467.
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