Official scorer Billy Wells -- a school teacher by day -- may have uncovered the trouble: The Myrtle Beach Pelicans simply misread the sign.

The billboard in left field of Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium actually reads "Basham," as in Basham Oil, not "bash 'em" as in what the Pelicans did to the Salem Avalanche on Sunday.

Myrtle Beach belted 16 hits, seven of them for extra bases, on their way to a 10-6 Carolina League victory over the Avalanche. Brandon Hicks, the second batter of the day, hit solo homer and the Pelicans hardly even paused at first base as they circled the infield the rest of the afternoon.

The Pelicans (18-12) came into Salem on Thursday with a 2¹₂ game lead over second-place Salem in the Southern Division, and left Sunday evening with a 3-1 series win and a four-game lead over second-place Winston-Salem. The Avalanche (13-16) dropped to 4¹₂ games back.

This isn't to say that the Pelicans played particularly brilliant baseball Sunday. Myrtle Beach committed three errors, including pitcher Gonzalo Lopez's attempt to pick off a runner at second when he didn't have any fielder covering the base. Lopez appeared to hesitate, seeing the absence of an available glove, then threw anyway, letting the ball dribble into the outfield and the runners move up a base.

They also stranded 11 runners on base, at least one in all but the fourth inning. These are failings that ordinarily lead to losses, often brutal losses. But not lately to visitors to Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium, where the home team has been floundering.

Myrtle Beach first baseman Ernesto Mejia feasted on Salem pitching like a family of tourists at a Calabash seafood buffet. Mejia went 6-for-12 with three doubles, two homers and nine RBIs in the first three games of the series.

In the first inning Sunday, he drove in a run with a triple and then scored on a single by Brandon Powell. He doubled in the third inning, but didn't score and the Avalanche briefly took a 3-2 lead with a run in the bottom of the fourth.

Mejia came up again with two outs and a runner at second in the fifth inning, but this time the Avalanche wasn't going to let the right-handed Venezuelan have his way. Salem starter Corey Bass intentionally walked Mejia, simultaneously preventing another possible monster blast and setting up a force out at all the bases.

But Bass threw a strike even Powell, a .179-hitting lefty, could not miss. Powell doubled to deep center to bring two runs home and yank the lead right out of the Avalanche's maw.

Perhaps feeling guilty for that uncharitable yank, Lopez attempted to give the game back to Salem in the bottom of the fifth with two straight walks to lead off the inning and then that bizarre error. Jhon Florentino and Mark Ori each brought home a run with a single and Koby Clemens plated one with a sacrifice fly for a 6-5 lead.

The rest of the Pelicans were not nearly as generous as Lopez.

Willie Cabrera led off the sixth with a single to send Bass to the shower. Phillip Britton and Conception Rodriguez hit back-to-back singles off reliever Bryan Hallberg. Rodriguez brought Cabrera home to tie the score, then Britton scored the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice grounder by Travis Jones.

The Pelicans added a run in the eighth and two more in the ninth. Cabrera, a .168-hitter, led off the ninth with a homer over that Basham sign. Or "bash 'em."

How the runs scored

Myrtle Beach first: One out. Hicks homered. Flowers hit by a pitch by Bass. Mejia tripled, Flowers scored. Powell singled, Mejia scored. Pelicans 3, Avalanche 0.

Salem first: Parraz walked and stole second. Torres doubled and went to third on the throw, Parraz scored. Florentino flied out, Torres scored. Pelicans 3, Avalanche 2.

Salem fourth: Ori doubled. Clemens flied out. Van Ostrand grounded out. Moresi reached on an error by Powell, Ori scored. Avalanche 3, Pelicans 3.

Myrtle Beach fifth: Jones singled. Hicks sacrifice bunted, Jones to second. Flowers flied out. Mejia was intentionally walked. Powell doubled, Jones scored, Mejia scored. Pelicans 5, Avalanche 3.

Salem fifth: One out. Parraz walked and stole second. Torres walked. The runners moved up to third and second on a throwing error by Lopez. Florentino singled, Parraz scored, Torres to third. Florentino stole second. Ori singled, Torres scored, Florentino to third. Clemens flied out, Florentino scored, Ori thrown out at first. Avlaanche 6, Pelicans 5.

Myrtle Beach sixth: Cabrera singled. Hallberg relieved Bass. Britton singled, Cabrera to third. Rodriguez singled, Cabrera scored, Britton to second. Jones reached on a fielder's choice, Britton to third, Rodriguez out at second. Jones went to second on a wild pitch by Hallberg. Hicks grounded out, Britton scored. Pelicans 7, Avalanche 6.

Myrtle Beach eighth: Jones singled. Hicks walked, Jones to second. Flowers struck out. Mejia struck out. Jones went to third and Hicks to second on a wild pitch from Appell. Jones scored on a passed ball. Pelicans 8, Avalanche 6.

Myrtle Beach ninth: Cabrera homered. Britton doubled. Diaz relieved Appell. Rodriguez popped out. Jones grounded out, Britton to third. Hicks singled, Britton scored. Pelicans 10, Avalanche 6.

MYRTLE BEACH SALEM

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Jones 2b 6 2 2 0 Parraz cf 3 2 0 0

Hicks ss 4 1 2 3 Torres ss 4 2 1 1

Flowers c 4 1 0 0 Florentino 3b 2 1 1 2

Mejia 1b 4 2 2 1 Ori 1b 4 1 2 1

Powell 3b 4 0 2 3 Clemens dh 3 0 0 1

Owings rf 5 0 1 0 Van Ostrand lf 4 0 0 0

Cabrera lf 5 2 2 1 Moresi rf 4 0 1 0

Britton dh 5 2 4 0 Iacono c 4 0 1 0

Rodriguez cf 5 0 1 1 Buchanan 2b 4 0 0 0

Totals 42 10 16 9 Totals 32 6 6 5

Myrtle Beach 300 022 012 -- 10

Salem 200 130 000 -- 6

E--Powell 2 (7), Lopez (1), Florentino (6). LOB--Myrtle Beach 11, Salem 5. DP--Myrtle Beach 1. 2B--Britton 2 (6), Mejia (8), Powell (4), Iacono (2),, Ori (8). 3B--Mejia (3), Torres (1). HR--Hicks (5), Cabrera (3). SF--Florentino, Clemens. S--Hicks. SB--Florentino 2 (5), Parraz 2 (9).

IP H R ER BB SO

Myrtle Beach

Lopez W, 1-2 5 5 6 5 3 4

Vines 4 1 0 0 1 2

Salem

Bass 5 8 6 6 1 1

Hallberg 2 4 1 1 1 0

Appell 1 3 3 2 2 2

Diaz 1 1 0 0 0 0

WP--Hallberg, Appell. HPB -- Flowers (by Bass).

Umpires -- Soucy, home; Segal, bases.

T -- 2:54. A -- 3,724.