Myrtle Beach Pelicans open with victory

MYRTLE BEACH -- When area baseball fans last saw Neil Ramirez on the mound at BB&T Coastal Field, he was getting knocked around for four runs in less than two innings of work against Texas Rangers hitters in the team's exhibition game last week with Coastal Carolina.

His performance Friday night, though, was perhaps more indicative of what to expect from the hard-throwing right-hander this season.

Ramirez yielded one hit and one walk through 42/3 scoreless innings while striking out nine in his formal Myrtle Beach Pelicans debut, leading the home team to a 3-1 win over the visiting Wilmington Blue Rocks.

The 44th overall pick in the 2007 first-year player draft, Ramirez exited the game to applause after blowing a high fastball past Wilmington's Joey Lewis for the second out of the fifth. With that, he had reached his pitch count for the evening and his job was done.

"I prepare for that every week, to go out there every five days and really give us a chance to win," said Ramirez, who threw 82 pitches. "That's what I expect out of myself."

A strong crowd of 5,069 took in the Pelicans' first game as a minor league affiliate of the Rangers, and most of those fans stayed to the end as the team formally began a new era after ending its relationship with the Atlanta Braves organization.

"It was hard for me to really take in most of that atmosphere, but I did take a look up there in the later innings and saw pretty much a full house," Pelicans first-year manager Jason Wood said. "I said, 'Wow, what a great atmosphere.' I think the life of the stadium was really good - they followed us throughout the game. And if we can maintain that attendance all year, wow, what a great thing that would be. But it's our job to play good baseball, quality baseball, and hopefully they'll keep coming."

The Myrtle Beach hitters quickly introduced themselves to the home fans Friday night, sending eight batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning while building a quick 3-0 lead. That would be plenty for the Pelicans in this one.

Wilmington didn't get its first hit against Ramirez until the top of the fifth, and even then it was of the infield variety. After Ramirez struck out John Whittleman to open the inning, Tim Ferguson reached on a throwing error by third baseman Mike Olt and Juan Graterol reached on a slow grounder to Olt, whose throw to first base this time was high. Chris McGuinness jumped to snare the ball and looked like he might have landed back on the bag in time, but Graterol was ruled safe and the play was ruled a single.

With runners on first and third and one out, Ramirez bounced back to ring up Lewis for his ninth and final strikeout of the game before being replaced on the mound. Reliever Tyler Tufts then came in to strike out Deivy Batista and get the Pelicans out of the jam.

"He threw the ball real well, got ahead of hitters and put them away when he needed to," Wood said. "We would have loved to have kept him out there and try to get that W for him, but he was just at a pitch count where we had to get him out of there."

Overall, Myrtle Beach pitchers combined to allow five hits, one walk and rack up 16 strikeouts. Wilmington pushed across its lone run on a sac fly by Alex McClure in the eighth.

Offensively, meanwhile, the Pelicans were led by Olt, who went 3 for 3, including an RBI double in the first. McGuinness and Travis Adair also contributed RBI singles in that three-run first inning.

The Pelicans had several opportunities to add to their run tally and stranded 12 runners on base overall. But, nonetheless, it was a successful season opener - and start to a new era - for Myrtle Beach.

"It felt great, just to get that first one out of the way - not only for myself but for the kids," Wood said. "... I think we let these guys off the hook a little bit too where we had the bases loaded a couple times and didn't get anything out of it, but a lot of nerves go into that. But all in all, I think it was a well-played game, and just happy to get the first one out of the way."

Notes

Wilmington's leadoff hitter Friday night was former South Carolina Gamecocks postseason hero Whit Merrifield, who hit the game-winning single in the deciding game of the College World Series last year. He went 0-4 with three strikeouts.

E--Olt (1). LOB--Blue Rocks 6, Pelicans 12. 2B--Batista (1); Olt (1). S--Garcia (2); Hoying (1). SF--McClure. GIDP--Ankiel, I.Rodriguez. DP--Blue Rocks 3.

WP--Ramirez. HBP-Pruince (by Melville); Garcia (by Dennick). T--2:38. A--5,069.