WRAL Sports Fan

Mudcats

Mudcats weather Pelicans in Myrtle Beach

Aug 18, 2012

Myrtle Beach, S.C. — The Carolina Mudcats scored two in the sixth, and held the Myrtle Beach Pelicans without a hit over the final four innings to win 4-3 on a wet Friday night at TicketReturn.com Field.

On-lookers sat through a 1:19 minute rain delay to watch Mudcats (27-27, 59-65) rebound from a bitter defeat against the Pelicans (31-23, 67-57) the night before.

Mike Rayl (10-8) led the effort by tossing his 12th quality start of the season. The southpaw ace held the Pelicans to three runs on six hits over six innings. After giving up all three runs over the second and third innings, he responded with three scoreless frames to end his night. Rayl has claimed a win in four straight outings.

Relievers Fabio Martinez and Jeff Johnson combined to retire nine Pelicans to end the game. Johnson pitched the final two innings for his first save.

Pelicans’ starter Kyle DeVore left the game with a 3-2 lead after five innings, but his bullpen could not hold the advantage. Randy Henry (5-9) allowed two runs on a pair of hits before leaving the game with an apparent injury to his right arm with two outs in the sixth.

Carolina surged out front in the second inning on a two-run blast over and out to left by Todd Hankins. Myrtle Beach immediately responded by tying the game at two in the second, and went ahead on a single by Tomas Telis in the third.

In the decisive sixth inning, Tyler Cannon singled with one out. Ronny Rodriguez followed with a triple that caromed from the warning track and off the wall. Cannon scored from first to tie the game at three, and Rodriguez scored what proved to be the game-winner on a groundout by Alex Monsalve.

After splitting the first two games, Carolina and Myrtle Beach face off in game three on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The Mudcats return home to host the Salem Red Sox for three games on August 24.