The Myrtle Beach Pelicans dropped an 8-2 decision to the Frederick Keys at a packed Harry Grove Stadium Saturday.
The loss is the first for the Pelicans in their last five against Frederick and ended a streak in which Myrtle Beach won seven of its last eight overall.
Frederick’s offense hit its stride early and often, scoring three runs in the first, one in the second and two in the third. Pelicans starter Randy Henry lasted only the first three while allowing six runs, all earned.
The Keys put their first three runners on via a walk to John Ruettiger and a single by Jerome Pena. Jeremy Nowak then doubled to plate two. He scored two groundouts later for a 3-0 lead. Garabez Rosa homered in the second and Brenden Webb hit a two-run blast in the third.
In the meantime Myrtle Beach sputtered against Tyler Wilson. The Keys starter worked into the eighth, allowing two runs in the eighth on only five hits, three in his final inning. Chris Grayson and Odubel Herrera singled in the first and third as the only two Pelicans hits in the first seven innings.
Frederick added two runs with one in the sixth off Francisco Mendoza and a homerun by Michael Mosby in the eighth off Jimmy Reyes.
The Myrtle Beach offense came through in the eighth inning with four singles and RBI by Josh Richmond and Odubel Herrera. That was all the Pelicans could muster.
In the rubber match of the series Sunday the Pelicans send Randol Rojas to the mound against Trent Howard. First pitch is at 2pm at Harry Grove Stadium.
