Pensacola Pelicans Extend Winning Streak To Six Games

July 9, 2009

The Pelicans extended their winning streak to six games, claiming victory over the El Paso Diablos in the first two games of the season. The first game lasted two days and 13 innings before the Pels won 11-10. El Paso put up four runs in the top of the thirteenth inning, but Pensacola rallied for five to win it. Game two was a surgical 5-0 win as Kyle Middleton pitched a complete-game, seven-inning shutout, striking out eight.

The Pelicans had a rousing bottom of the thirteenth in game one, as Lester Contreras led off with a single. With one out, Luis Guance singled and advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Contreras scored on the play, and a four run Diablo lead was cut to 10-7. Francisco Leandro followed up with a single of his own, Guance scored, and Leandro advanced to second on a throwing error by the third baseman. Antoin Gray came to the plate and singled to score Leandro, then moved to third when Chase Burch got a base knock up the middle. Marcos Rodriguez pounded a hit through the left side, scoring Gray to tie the game at ten and moving Burch to second. Lou Palmisano won the game for the Pelicans on a RBI single between third and second to plate Burch and give the Pelicans their fifth straight win.

Ron Hill earned the win for the Pelicans, improving to 1-0 on the season. Jason Navarro started the game for Pensacola and pitched five innings, giving up five runs, four earned, on seven hits, with two strikeouts and two walks. Tyler Wilson started the rain-suspended game on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., pitching innings six through nine and allowing one earned run, four hits, and two walks. Ron Hill pitched from the tenth inning on, giving up four runs on six hits with two walks. Hill struck out six batters.

The second game started after nine o’clock, and was a perfect example of Kyle Middleton’s performance on the year. Middleton didn’t allow a run in the full seven-innings (as the game was shortened due to the double-header), struck out eight, and allowed just four hits and a walk. Middleton improved to 4-1 in 2009 while Justin Mallet (1-4) took the loss.

The Pelicans took a 2-0 lead in the first and never looked back. Leandro led off with a single, and Gray followed with one of his own. Chase Burch hit a RBI single to drive in Leandro. Two outs later, Luis Gaunce hit a single and Gray came in as well.

Pensacola added another run in the third: Marcos Rodriguez extended his hitting streak to 21 games with a one-out base hit, then scored when Lou Palmisano hit a double. The last bit of insurance came in the bottom of the sixth as Lester Contreras reached on an error by the third baseman and was awarded second base. Adam Darby hit a single to move Contreras to third, and Kyle LaMotta hit a sacrifice fly to left that brought Contreras in to score. Francisco Leandro walked, and with Darby on second, both runners took off and stole second and third, respectively. When Chase Burch grounded out, Darby touched home and the Pelicans led 5-0, the final score.

Over the two games, Francisco Leandro went 5-8 with his first homer of the year and three stolen bases, Chase Burch went 5-10 with a double, and Marcos Rodriguez went 4-11 with a two-bagger of his own. Lou Palmisano had three RBI, and Luis Guance stole his team-best seventeenth base.

The Pelicans and Diablos play the third game of this six-game series on Thursday with a scheduled 6:35 p.m. first pitch. RHP Dane DeValk (3-1, 3.53 ERA) is scheduled to pitch against El Paso’s LHP Nick Martin (2-4, 4.69 ERA). The Famous San Diego Chicken will entertain fans during the game. Tickets to the contest are still available at www.pensacolapelicans.com, Pensacola-area Circle K locations, and in person at the box office located outside Pelican Park.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Sports