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WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem Warthogs erupted late to complete a three-game sweep of the Pelicans with a 10-4 victory in game three from Ernie Shore Field on Saturday night.

Bad fortune plagued Pelicans' starter Carlos Rivas in the first inning, as the Warthogs staged a two-out rally to grab a 1-0 lead.  John Shelby and Salvador Sanchez both sent swinging-bunt tricklers up the third base line to put two aboard.  That allowed Joe Persichina to stand in and lace a single to left field that scored Shelby with the game's first run.

The Warthogs added a second run in the second as Rivas walked Adam Ricks to start the inning.  He came home two batters later as CJ Retherford ripped a double to right-center to make it 2-0 for Winston-Salem.

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The bottom of the Pelicans ordered sparked the birds' response in the third against Hogs' starter John Ely.  Phillip Britton and Randy Gress supplied back-to-back singles to start the threat.  A batter later, Gorkys Hernandez sent a single back through the box to plate Britton and cut the lead in half, 2-1.  On the throw home, both runners moved up a base and Gress scored to tie the game as Concepcion Rodriguez bounced out to the shortstop.  Ely then walked Brandon Hicks and Eric Campbell to load the bases and Travis Jones gave the Pelicans a 4-2 lead with a two-run single back up the middle.

One swing changed everything in the bottom of the fifth, as Greg Paiml singled ahead of a double for John Shelby III that put two aboard.  Sanchez followed and crushed a three-run home run well over the wall in left field to hand the lead back to the Warthogs, 5-4.

Ely (9-12) left with the lead following the home run, departing after five innings in which he allowed four earned runs on four hits, walking four and striking out five.

Rivas (5-4) lasted 6 1/3 innings, conceding 12 hits and seven earned runs.  The final two scored after he left with two runners aboard in the seventh.  Michael Broadway entered in relief and balked the two runners up to second and third before delivering a wild-pitch that scored Sanchez who had singled.  Broadway then walked Persichina and Ricks to load the bases before Francisco Hernandez sent a two-run double down the right field line and Sergio Miranda contributed a sacrifice fly to cap the rally, 9-4.

The Warthogs finished off the birds with a run off of reliever Cory Gearrin in the bottom of the eighth inning.  The Pelicans did claim the season series between the two clubs (14-6).

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