Down on the Cubs Farm: Pelicans struggling, two postponements, more |
With the Cubs farmhands looking to end April on a positive note, it was a quiet night on the diamond. With three teams scheduled for action, both South Bend and Iowa were postponed, leaving Myrtle Beach the lone team in action. A 7-4 loss to close out April gave the Cubs an 0-1 record on the evening as they look forward to the next month of play.
IOWA CUBS: Postponed TENNESSEE SMOKIES: Off MYRTLE BEACH PELICANS 4 – Down East Wood Ducks 7: Looking to solve the Wood Ducks, the Pelicans were back in action Tuesday looking to close out April on a high note. What started as a positive showing with top pitching prospect Oscar De La Cruz continuing to do his thing on the mound (4 innings 2R, 1 ER, 3H, 4BB, and 6K) turned into late game heartbreak as Luis Lugo, and Tyler Peyton allowed five earned runs in five innings of relief. All five of those runs came in the final two innings as the Pelicans fall 7-4. The Pelicans were able to grab a rare early lead on the Wood Ducks as they scored right away in the first. A leadoff Yeiler Peguero double set the Pelicans up with a golden scoring chance. After straight strikeouts had Peguero still standing at second, Tyler Payne cashed in with a line drive single to center for the early 1-0 lead. The Wood Ducks responded in the second as De La Cruz battled with some command issues. With a one-out double putting a runner on base, a hit by a pitch and a walk loaded the bases giving Down East an excellent scoring chance. De La Cruz tied the game with another walk as Yonny Hernandez worked a bases-loaded walk to keep the inning moving. Hernandez would later pick up an RBI single in the fourth to give the Wood Ducks a 2-1 lead at that point. Trailing by one in the bottom of the fourth, Myrtle Beach continued to show some fight as they battled back at the plate. A Grant Fannell single in the fourth tied things up 2-2 before a Jimmy Herron fifth inning home run put the Pelicans back in front 3-2. That ball isn't coming back!!! @Jimbabwe_III blasts a solo shot to left field to put the Birds back in front 3-2!! pic.twitter.com/93AkD9ePHE Miguel Amaya would push another run across in the seventh as his RBI double made it a 4-2 Myrtle Beach lead through seven with the game tilting in their direction. .@mamaya_9 adds on for the Birds!! An RBI groundout gives the Pelicans a 4-2 advantage into the 8th!! pic.twitter.com/m1ThzhtbIK It was in the eighth inning when the Wood Ducks showed why they are one of the best teams in the league as they began to seize control of the game. Already with the bases loaded, Tyreque Reed singled off Lugo’s leg on the mound cutting things to 4-3. A passed ball a few pitches later brought things even at 4-4 with the Pelicans scratching their heads yet again. The ninth inning is when Down East took control of the game and didn’t look back. A Ryan Dorow single gave the Wood Ducks the lead for good at 5-4 before Diosbel Arias, and Julio Pablo added RBI’s with a single and sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 7-4 with three outs to go. The Pelicans went down in order with three strikeouts in the ninth to fall 7-4 and remain winless against the Wood Ducks this season. The 7-19 April proved to be one of the worst months in franchise history as they continue to struggle to find their footing. Amaya went 0-3 with a walk, RBI and strikeout as his average is back under .200 at .192. Payne was the lone Pelican to have more than one hit, picking up two in the game while five others added one each. SOUTH BEND CUBS: Postponed
