We now have two teams in the system who have started their season as Myrtle Beach joins Iowa. Knoxville and South Bend take the field tomorrow.
Iowa Cubs
The Iowa Cubs blinded the Louisville Bats (Reds), 11-10.
It was not a good start for Javier Assad, who got pounded for three runs in the second inning, one more in the third and four in the fourth. The final line on Assad was eight runs on eleven hits over four innings. One of the eight runs was unearned. Assad walked three and struck two. He also gave up two home runs as the wind was howling out to right at Louisville Slugger Park.
As much trouble as Assad had with the conditions, Louisville pitchers had even more as Iowa hit five home runs tonight. The first one came with two men on in the top of the first by center fielder Chas McCormick.
McCormick was 1 for 4 with a walk tonight.
Second baseman James Triantos came up after McCormick and went back-to-back to make it 4-0 before the Bats even came to bat.
Triantos had a big night, going 4 for 5 with four runs scored.
After the Bats scored three times in the bottom of the second, third baseman Pedro Ramirez got one run back with a solo home run.
Ramirez was 3 for 4 with a walk and three runs scored.
Later in the third inning, catcher Christian Bethancourt cranked a three-run home run to make it 8-3 Iowa. (Note: the post has the wrong score.)
Bethancourt his his second home run of the game and the season with a man on in the seventh inning.
Bethancourt went 2 for 5 with the two home runs and five RBI.
Charlie Barnes took over for Assad in the fifth inning and got the win. His final line was one run on three hits over 3.1 innings. Barnes walked three, hit one batter and struck out three.
Gavin Hollowell was summoned from the pen to get the final two outs of the bottom of the eighth. He did that after walking two. When Hollowell came out to pitch the ninth, he walked the first batter of the inning. Then Edwin Arroyo tripled him home to reduce the Iowa lead to 11-10 with a runner on third and no outs in the ninth. But Hollowell then buckled down and struck out the next three batters to record the save.
The final line on Hollowell was one run on one hit and three walks over 1.2 innings. He struck out five.
Shortstop Ben Cowles was also 0 for 1 with four walks and one run scored.
Myrtle Beach Pelicans
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans neutered the Charleston RiverDogs (Rays), 14-0 in a game called in the middle of the eighth inning because of rain.
Cubs’ 2025 third-round pick Dominick Reid made his professional debut tonight and looked good. He pitched four scoreless innings and gave up just two hits. He struck out five and walked just one.
Jackson Brockett threw the next three innings in his professional debut and got the win because Reid didn’t go five innings. Brockett gave up three hits. He walked two and struck out two.
Myrtle Beach got a run before they even put a ball in play as after shortstop Ty Southisene was hit by the first pitch of the season, the next three batters walked. In the end, the Pelicans scored 14 runs on 11 hits and 15 walks.
DH Cole Mathis hit the first home run of the year with two men on in the second inning. Mathis went 2 for 3 with three walks. He drove in four runs total (one of the walks came with the bases loaded) and he scored twice.
Southisene went 0 for 2 with three walks and the hit by pitch. He scored three times.
Right fielder Josiah Hartshorn was 1 for 2 with four walks in his pro debut. Hartshorn scored once and drove in one with a single.
Catcher Logan Poteet went 2 for 5 with a walk. He scored three times and had two RBI.
First baseman Michael Carico was 3 for 6 with a double and one run scored.
Center fielder Alexey Lumpuy finished at 1 for 4 with a two-run double and two walks. He scored twice and had three overall runs batted in.
Here are some Reid highlights.
Here is the Mathis home run.
The Lumpuy 2-run double
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