Pelicans Pitchers Turn Up the Heat at Riverview Park

Kevonte Mitchell walloped a two-run HR (off Brailyn Marquez), D. J. Wilson singled twice, doubled, walked, stole two bases, and scored two runs, and SP Paul Richan hurled six innings of shutout ball with nine stikeouts (also 6/2 GO/AO, all three hits he allowed were singles, he issued no walks, and he threw 80% strikes) and combined with five relievers to fan 20, helping the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Cubs Hi-A affiliate) cruise past the South Bend Cubs (Lo-A affiliate of the Cubs) 6-1 in Minor League Camp Spring Training game action Friday night on Field #1 at the Riverview Baseball Complex in Mesa, AZ. 

The game was pre-planned as an eleven inning contest so that all of the pitchers who needed to throw could get their work, and while the twenty strikeouts racked up by Myrtle Beach pitchers was certainly aided by playing two additional innings, Pelicans pitchers did punch-out 16 SB-Cubs hitters through nine innings.    

Also, three of the pitchers who threw for Myrtle Beach (Ian Clarkin, Jordan Minch, and Wyatt Short) were actually Tennessee relievers who needed work (the Minch FB was sitting 94-95 and touched 97, BTW), and another (LHP Ryan Lawlor) was recently moved-down to South Bend from Myrtle Beach but (like the Tennessee trio) he needed work and the South Bend bullpen dance card was full.   

As is typical this time of year, several players from the Eugene/Mesa squad (Vicens, K. Moreno, L. Diaz, O. Nunez, Hurd, Zardon, and Daniel) served as late-inning replacements for the MB and SB starters, and the ones who played for South Bend combined to go 1-7 with six strikeouts (which also contributed to the prodigious Pelicans pitchers' strikeout total).     

In Minor League Camp news, OF Brandon Hughes (Cubs 2017 16th round draft pick - Michigan State) is being converted to a LHP. Hughes is the second Cubs outfielder to be converted to pitcher this month (Jamie Galazin was the other one). Like Galazin, Hughes does have some prior experience as a pitcher in college (he appeared in seven games as a reliever in his freshman season at MSU). 

Here is the box score from the game:  

SOUTH BEND LINEUP:
1a. D. J. Artis, LF: 0-2 (K, 6-3)
1b. Brandon Vicens, LF: 1-2 (K, 1B)
2. Cole Roederer, CF: 0-4 (K, K, K, P-5)
3. Fidel Mejia, DH #1: 1-3 (K, 1B, BB, K)
4a. Jonathan Sierra, RF: 1-2 (1B, 4-6 FC) 
4b. Kevin Moreno, RF: 0-2 (K, K)
5. Nelson Velazquez, DH #2: 0-4 (6-4-3 DP, K, L-7, K)
6. Tyler Durna, 1B: 0-3 (K, F-9, BB, 3-U) 
7a. Levi Jordan, 3B: 0-2 (P-4, 6-3)
7b. Luis Diaz, 3B: 0-2 (K, K)
8a. Eric Gonzalez, C: 1-3 (5-3, 1B, K)
8b. Orian Nunez, C: 0-1 (K) 
9. Rafael Narea, SS: 0-4 (K, K, F-8, F-7)
10. Delvin Zinn, 2B: 0-3 (6-3, K, K+WP, R, SB)

MYRTLE BEACH LINEUP:
1. D. J. Wilson, CF: 3-4 (BB, 1B, 1B, K, 2B, 2 R, 2 SB, PO)
2. Jimmy Herron, RF: 1-4 (K, BB, F-9, 1B, F-8, R)
3a. Aramis Ademan, SS: 1-2 (L-1, 1B, RBI)
3b. Yeiler Peguero, PH-2B: 1-3 (3-1, F-8, 1B, RBI, CS)
4. Luke Reynolds, 3B: 1-5 (1B, K, L-9, F-8, K, R)
5a. Kevonte Mitchell, DH: 1-2 (HR, K, R, 2 RBI)
5b. Carlos Sepulveda, PH-DH: 1-3 (1B, E-6, K, R, SB)
6a. Grant Fennell, LF: 0-2 (4-3, K, BB)
6b. Dalton Hurd, LF: 0-2 (F-8, K)
7a. Tyler Payne, C-1B: 0-4 (K, 6-3, K, 6-3)
7b. Danny Zardon, PH-1B: 0-1 (K) 
8. Cam Balego, 1B-C: 1-2 (K, BB, 2B) 
NOTE: SLOT WAS SKIPPED THIRD TIME THRU BATTING ORDER 
9a. Jhonny Bethencourt, 2B-SS: 1-3 (K, P-4, 1B, RBI)
9b. Chase Daniel, 2B: 0-1 (P-3)

SOUTH BEND PITCHERS: 
1. Brailyn Marquez: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R (2 ER), 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 1 PO, 1/1 GO/AO, 31 pitches (19 strikes) 
2. Cam Sanders: 4.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R (2 ER), 3 BB, 6 K, 2/3 GO/AO, 71 pitches (43 strikes)  
3. Eugenio Palma: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K, 2/3 GO/AO, 34 pitches (17 strikes) 
4. Riley McCauley: 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 1 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 15 pitches (10 strikes) 
5. Dalton Geekie: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K, 14 pitches (10 strikes) 

MYRTLE BEACH PITCHERS: 
1. Paul Richan: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 9 K, 1 GIDP, 6/2 GO/AO, 70 pitches (56 strikes) 
2. Ryan Lawlor: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K, 21 pitches (14 strikes) 
3. Ben Hecht: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 15 pitches (8 strikes) 
4. Ian Clarkin: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R (1 ER), 0 BB, 2 K, 2 WP, 0/2 GO/AO, 22 pitches (14 strikes) 
5. Jordan Minch: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 1/0 GO/AO, 13 pitches (9 strikes) 
6. Wyatt Short: 1.0 IP, 0 H,0 R, 0 BB, 2 K, 0/1 GO/AO, 12 pitches (8 strikes) 
 
SOUTH BEND ERRORS: 2 
1. C Eric Gonzalez: E-2 (errant throw to 2nd base on SB attempt allowed runner to advance to 3rd)
2. SS Rafael Narea: E-6 (fielding error allowed batter to reach base safely) 

MYRTLE BEACH ERRORS: NONE 

SOUTH BEND CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
1. Eric Gonzalez: 0-3 CS, 1 E (see above) 
2. Orian Nunez: 1-1 CS 

MYRTLE BEACH CATCHERS DEFENSE: 
Cam Balego: 0-1 CS 

SOUTH BEND OUTFIELD ASSIST: 
CF Cole Roederer threw out baserunner (Grant Fennell) 8-5 attempting to advance from 1st to 3rd on single to CF

ATTENDANCE: 22 

WEATHER: Clear with temperatures in the 70's 

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