No place like home for Pelicans

The Myrtle Beach Pelicans limped home to BB&T Coastal Field on Thursday after a brutal road trip that saw them looking like a team on the ropes.

But by the end of the night, following a 11-1 victory over the visiting Frederick Keys, they looked like Carolina League Southern Division's first-half champions.

Returning from a grueling road swing that saw them lose 31/2 games in the division standings and play 47 innings over a three-day stretch, the Pelicans were welcomed by a crowd of more than 4,500 as they tried to put the brakes on their skid.

They needed a combination of three wins or losses by the second-place Kinston Indians to clinch the first-half title, but didn't plan on waiting for the latter. The Indians and Lynchburg Hillcats were locked in a 1-1 tie during a rain-delayed seventh inning Thursday, temporarily giving the Pelicans a two-game lead and a magic number of two.

"It was a tough road trip but we have to put it behind us," Myrtle Beach center fielder Ryan Strausborger, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, said before the game. "We can't wait around for help. We have to take care of business ourselves."

The Pelicans did just that, and Strausborger played a key role in helping them get back on track to clinching the crown. He wasted little time extending his hitting streak to 16 games and his consecutive on-base streak to 28 by beating out a throw for a single in the first inning that moved teammate Leury Garcia to third base.

The hustle play proved pivotal when Strausborger, who is always a threat to run, enticed a bad pick-off throw to first that allowed Garcia to score. Strausborger tried for third and drew another off-target throw that sent him home for an early 2-0 advantage. He doubled the lead with a two-run homer in the third inning.

The Pelicans piled it on with two more runs in both the next two innings. Jared Bolden had an RBI triple and scored on an RBI single by Garcia in the fourth, and David Paisano, who went 3-for-3 on the night, drove in a run and scored on a sacrifice by Santiago Chirino in the fifth for a commanding 8-1 lead.

Myrtle Beach added three insurance runs in the eighth to close out the Keys (41-26), whom the Pelicans (38-29) are chasing for the overall first-half title. They must sweep the four-game series against Northern Division champion Frederick to tie for the best record in the first half, but both would earn postseason berths.

Myrtle Beach starter Wilfredo Boscan (2-2) scattered seven hits over seven innings and struck out four batters to earn the win. Joe Ortiz and Zach Osbourne each pitched scoreless innings to close out the Pelicans' first regulation, nine-inning win since June 11.

The Pelicans' recent slide began Sunday, when they entered the day with a five-game lead over the Indians. But after Kinston wore them down with a 3-2 win in a 23-inning game, the longest in franchise and Carolina League history, the Pelicans then split a doubleheader with Potomac before losing the rubber match in extra innings Wednesday.

They appeared to be running on fumes down the home stretch, but the home crowd once again provided inspiration. The Pelicans hold the best record in the league in home games at 21-9.

The Pelicans continue their final series of the first half tonight at BB&T Coastal Field at 7.