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WOODBRIDGE, VA - The Potomac Nationals erased a three-run Pelicans' lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, dramatically rescuing game three in ten innings, 8-7, to take a two-games-to-one advantage in the best-of-five Mills Cup Championship Series on Thursday night at Pfitzner Stadium.

The Pelicans took a 7-4 lead to the ninth inning, when disaster struck.  Tyler Wilson worked a scoreless eighth inning for the Pelicans, but walked both Boomer Whiting and Michael Burgess to set the stage for the P-Nats.  Ferdin Tejeda came on to attempt to close out the game and struck out Stephen King to stretch Potomac to their final out.  Jhonatan Solano stepped in however and blasted a first pitch fast ball from Tejeda for a home run to left field, tying the game, 7-7.

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Myrtle Beach never recovered, going promptly 1-2-3 in the top of the tenth inning.  Brett Butts entered for the bottom of the frame, and walked Michael Martinez to start the game-winning rally.  Andrew LeFave replaced Martinez by bouncing into a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a single by Dee Brown.  Butts then walked Whiting to load the bases and a batter later walked Burgess to end the ballgame, as Burgess was credited with the game-winning RBI.  Butts (0-1) was hit with the loss for the Pelicans.

Pelicans' starter Ryne Reynoso got into immediate trouble in the bottom of the first inning, allowing a lead-off single to Dan Lyons.  Martinez followed and laid down a sacrifice bunt to the left of Reynoso.  Reynoso scrambled off the mound, but made an ill-fated decision to go to second.  His throw was errant, allowing Lyons to advance to third, with Martinez racing all the way to second.  LeFave then cracked a two-run single to center field to give Potomac a 2-0 lead.

P-Nats' starter Ross Detwiler struck out five of the first seven batters that he faced, but Myrtle Beach pulled even in the third inning.  With two outs, Detwiler sparked the rally by walking Phillip Britton.  Gorkys Hernandez followed with a double to put runners at second and third base.  Willie Cabrera drove in both runners with a double to the right field corner, tying the game, 2-2.

Potomac pulled back in front in the bottom of the inning, as Reynoso conceded a one-out single to Solano at the bottom of the order.  A batter later, Martinez lifted a two-run home run over the wall in right field as the P-Nats reclaimed their two-run advantage, 4-2.

Myrtle Beach again pulled even as they chased Detwiler with two runs in the top of the fifth.  Concepcion Rodriguez started the uprising with a lead-off double.  A batter later, Hernandez was hit by a Detwiler fast ball to put two aboard.  Cabrera walked to load the bases and following an Eric Campbell strike out, Ernesto Mejia singled home the lead two runners to again even the ballgame, 4-4.  Detwiler departed after 4 2/3 innings, allowing four earned runs, but matching a season-high with nine strike outs.

Reynoso recovered to hold the P-Nats at bay in the fourth and fifth innings.  He left with the game tied, 4-4, after five innings, having allowed four earned runs on five hits.

The birds got to the P-Nats bullpen for the first time in the series and grabbed the lead in the sixth.  Dan Leatherman came on to finish the fifth, but conceded a single to Hicks with one out in the sixth.  Rodriguez followed with a double off the wall in right field that put runners at first and second with one out.  Britton then chopped a ball over the mound to Martinez at second base.  Martinez threw out Britton, but Hicks scored to put the Pelicans ahead, 5-4.  Hernandez followed with a double that plated Rodriguez for a two-run advantage, 6-4.

Hicks capped the scoring for Myrtle Beach with a solo home run to left field off of Clint Everts in the eighth inning as the Pelicans assumed a 7-4 lead.

The P-Nats struck out 18 Pelicans over the course of the ballgame.  Josh Wilkie (1-0), who worked a scoreless ninth and tenth, struck out two and earned the victory for Potomac.

Game Four of the series is scheduled for Friday night at Pfitzner Stadium at 7:05 PM.  LHP Cole Rohrbough (1-0, 0.00) will make the start for Myrtle Beach against RHP Erik Arneson (0-0, 3.18) for Potomac.

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