LYNCHBURG, VA – The Pelicans used a 5-for-5 night from Donell Linares and a late home run to take the series opener with the Lynchburg Hillcats 9-6 at City Stadium.

The Pelicans wasted no time taking the lead off former Pelican Jeff Locke. Cole Miles led off the game with a single and stole second before scoring on a Donell Linares single to give the Birds a 1-0 lead.

Myrtle Beach added to it in the third. Again, it was Linares coming through with men on base as he doubled home Robert Marcial and Miles to put the Pelicans up 3-0.

The Hillcats came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning off Jacob Thompson. Thompson allowed hits to the first four batters of the inning including an RBI double by Jamie Romak and a two-run single by Kris Watts to tie the game at 3-3.

Linares would come through again in the fifth inning when he singled home Miles to put the Pelicans up 4-3. Jon Mark Owings scored from third on a sacrifice bunt by Robert Marcial in the sixth inning to give the Birds a 5-3 advantage. Linares would make it 6-3 when he singled home Randy Gress for his fifth RBI of the night. That hit chased Locke from the game having allowed six runs on 12 hits over five and two-thirds innings.

The Hillcats tied the game again with a three-run homer by Watts in the seventh off Pelican reliever Tommy Palica. That marked the second time in the game that the Pelicans squandered a three-run lead.

Gerry Rodriguez homered with two on in the top of the ninth off R.J. Rodriguez to put the Pelicans up 9-6 for good. Following the home run, tempers flared and both benches emptied as a result of the way Gerry started down the first base line. The incident never turned physical, but Romak was ejected from the game as a result of the altercation.

Thompson didn’t record a decision despite allowing three runs on eight hits over six innings. Lee Hyde (3-1) got credit for the win for recording the final out in the seventh and pitching a scoreless eighth. Cory Gearrin (13) allowed just one hit in the ninth to earn the save. Rodriguez (6-3) suffered the loss after allowing the three ninth inning runs.

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