Drive eliminate Sand Gnats from Playoffs, 5-4

The second playoff game was played Friday evening at Grayson Stadium. The Greenville Drive held off the Savannah Sand Gnats to win 5-4. The 2,515 fans were noisy-the first 1,000 fans to enter the ballpark received a vuvuzela horn.

Greenville got off to a quick start in the first inning scoring two runs on 2 base on balls, a hit batter and a single. In the 5th, the Drive added another run. 2bZach Gentile led off the 6th with a double followed by a home run by 1b Reynoldo Rodriquez.

Savannah scored 2 runs in the 4th:3b Adrelin Rodriquez singled followed by a walk to rf Cesar Puello. A double by lf Cody Holliday scored two runs. Gnats scored two runs in the 8th: A. Rodriquez singled and Holliday walked. cAlbert Cordero singled to score Rodriquez. Holliday scored on a wild pitch.

Savannah collected 8 hits for the game. A. Rodriquez went 3-for-4 and scored two runs.

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Taylor Whitenton,pitched 5 innings, gave up 5 runs on 4 hits, 3BB and struck out four. Josh Edgin appeared in his third game, pitched three innings, and did not allow a hit or run and struck out two. Gabriel Zavala struck out two batters in the 9th inning.

Savannah2 Asheville 1

The final home game of the regular season for the Sand Gnats was played Monday afternoon at Grayson Stadium. The Gnats edged the Tourists 2-1. Savannah pitching was outstanding, allowing Asheville only 3 hits for the game.

The Tourists scored their only run in the 8th inning, when cAnthony Aguilera hit a home run over the left field fence(his 1st).

Savannah scored in the 2nd: 2bJet Butler singled, stole second, and scored on a single by cAlbert Cordero. In the 3rd inning, Gnats scored when ssLuis Nieves singled and later scored on a passed ball.

Two Savannah players got 4 of the 6 hits:Nieves was 2for-4 with a run scored. Cordell went 2-for-3 with 1 RBI.

Winning Sand Gnat pitcher, Collin McHugh, improved his record to (7-8). He pitched 5 innings, struck out 5, and allowed only one hit. Michael Herbert, worked 3 1/3 innings, gave up one run on 1 hit and struck out two. Luis Rojas pitched 2/3 inning struck out one and gave up one hit.

The announced attendance was 1,781.

Savannah 5 Asheville 1

The third game of the four game series between the Asheville Tourist and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Sunday at Grayson Stadium before 1,776 fans. With the 5-1 win, the Gnats eliminated the Asheville Tourists from playoff contention.

The Tourists scored their only run of the game in the 3rd inning.

Savannah tired the score in the 4th inning:dhRobbie Shields singled, stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice fly. He scored on a sacrifice fly by2bJet Butler. Gnats scored a run in the 6th.

In the 8th, a double, a dropped fly ball by the left fielder, followed by a base on ball and cJuan Torres single scored two runs.

The Sand Gnats had 5 hits for the game. Shields was 2-for4 with a double and two runs scored. Torres was 2-for-3 with 3 RBI's.

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher Darin Gorski, with the win, improved his record to (6-8). He pitched 6 innings, gave up only 1 run on 7 hits and struck out eight. Gabriel Zavala, Josh Edgin, and Brandon Sage combined to shut out the Tourists and striking out seven.

Tourists 6 Sand Gnats 2

The second game of the four game series between the Asheville Tourists and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Saturday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 3,469 fans. Both teams made several outstanding defensive plays.

Asheville scored single runs in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th innings. dhAvery Barnes hit a two run home run in the 6th. Tourist scored their final run in the 7th inning.

Savannah was hitless for five innings and collected 2 hits in the 6th. The Gnats scored their two runs in the 7th when 1bTravis Ozga singled and was followed by a home run by cJuan Torres.(his 3rd of the season).

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Taylor Whitenton, went 5 innings, gave up 3 runs on 6 hits, 3BB, and struck out 7. Guillaume Leduc pitched 2 innings, gave up 3 runs on 2 hits, 3BB, and struck out 4. Ramiro Peralta and John Church combined for 2 innings of shutout baseball and allowed 1 hit.

Savannah 5 Asheville 4

The final series of the regular season was played Friday evening at Grayson Stadium before 1,198 fans.

Savannah scored a run in the 12th inning to to beat Asheville, 5-4. lfCody Holliday walked in the 12th, moved to third on a single by 2bLuis Nieves, and scored the winning run on a ground ball hit by ssRobbie Shields.

The Tourist got off to a fast start in the first inning, when their first four batters singled to score 2 runs. Asheville added a run in the 6th and scored a run in the 9th.

In the 5th inning, Gnats did not get a hit but scored 2 runs on 5 walks, a wild pitch and a pass ball. The game went into extra innings after Savannah scored a run in the 9th to tie the game.

The Gnats had 5 hits for the game, The hiting star was 2bLuis Nieves who was 4-for-4, with a double, two walks, and a run scired.

Starting Savannah Gnat pitcher, Gonzales German, went 6 innings, gave up 3 runs on 8 hits and struck out three. Edgin pitched 2 innings and gave up a hit and struck out two. Marcos Tabata picked up the win(4-1)- allowing 1 run on on 4 hits and stricking outtwo.

Savannah 3 Charleston 2

The final game of the four game series between the Charleston RiverDogs and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Saturday evening at Grayson Stadium. Fans saw great defensive plays from both teams. It was an exciting game right down to the final play of the game.

Savannah got five strong innings from starter, Armando Rodriquez, he gave up 1 hit, no runs, struck out 9 to win his 7th game of the year.

The Gnats scored their three runs in the 3rd inning. The hot-hitting Jordan Abruzzo singled to drive in two runs. Cody Holliday,making his debut, singled in the inning in his first at bat for Savannah.

Charleston scored a run in the 7th inning when Luke Murton hit a 400 ft plus dive over the center field fence(last night he homered in the 7th). In the 8th Charleston scored their final run.

Brandon Sage pitched the final two innings for Savannah. In the eight inning with one out and the bases loaded, Sage manage to pitch out of trouble.

In the ninth inning with one out for Charleston, a fly ball was hit to right field, Holliday made a running catch just above the ground. The runner went to second thinking the ball had been trapped. Holliday threw to first to record the final out of the game.

Savannah 2 Charleston 1 (second game of the DH)

The second game of the double header between the Charleston RiverDogs and the Savannah Sand Gnats saw the debut of Gnat pitcher, Gonzales German, who was striking, pitching a complete game. He gave up one run on three hits, no walks, and struck out seven.

For the contest, Savannah had two hits, both singles by dhJordan Abruzzo.

The Gnats scored their two runs in the 6th inning without a hit, courtesy of 5 base on balls and two wild pitches.

Charleston scored their only run in the 7th inning when 1bLuke Murton homered to left field.

The announced attendance was 1,499.

Savannah 5 Charleston 3(First Game of DH)

The first game of the double header at Grayson Stadium Friday saw the Sand Gnats hit the long ball to defeat the RiverDogs, 5-3.

Savannah trailed 2-1, when the Gnats exploded for 4 runs in the 5th inning. 2bAlonzo Harris singled, stole second, and scored when ssRobbie Shields hit a home run to left field. 1bTravis Ozga reached first on a fielders choice and scored on a home run by lfR. J. Harris(his 6th home run of the year).

Savannah had 8 hits for the game. dhJordan Abruzzo was 2-for-3 with one RBI. 2bAlonzo Harris went 1-for-3, scored 2 runs and stole 2 bases.

Sand Gnat starting pitcher,Collin McHugh, picked up the win and is now 5-8. He pitched 5 innings, gave up 2 runs on 4 hits, struck out 4, and walked three. Marcos Tabata pitched one inning of shutout baseball. Brandon Sage went one inning allowing one run on 2 hits and picked up his 6th save of the season.

Sand Gnats game Rained out.

Heavy rains causing a wet and soggy field caused the game Thursday evening between the Charleston RiverDogs and the Savannah Sand Gnats to be rescheduled tomorrow. The RiverDogs and Gnats will play a double header(7 inning games) tomorrow, starting at 5:35 at Grayson Stadium.

RiverDogs 8 Sand Gnats 0

The first game of the four game series between the Charleston RiverDogs and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played at Grayson Stadium on Wednesday evening in front of 1,313 fans.

The game was called after the 6th inning because of lightening and rain.

Charleston's starting pitcher, Brett Marshal, was outstanding pitching shutout baseball for 6 innings and only allowed a double to rfNick Santomauro in the sixth inning. He struck out 4 and improved his record to (4-2).

The RiverDogs scored three runs in the 1st, highlighted by a two run homer by cf Niel Medchill. They added a run in the 4th on a solo home run by 3bKevin Mahoney. In the 6th they scored 4 runs.

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Taylor Whitenton, took the loss and is now(8-7). He worked 4 2/3 innings, allowed 4 runs on 7 hits and walked 3, struck out 4. Guillaume Leduc pitched 1 1/3 innings, gave up 4 runs on 3 hits, walked 4 and struck out one.

Savannah 3 Augusta 0

The third game of the four game series between the Augusta GreenJackets and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Thursday evening before 1,374 fans.

Savannah played good defense and their three pitchers pitched a three hit shutout for the game. The Gnats made good use of their five hits.

Savannah scored a run in the first when 2bAlonso Harris reached first on an error, stole second, and scored on a single by lfR.J. Harris.

In the second inning, Savannah scored a run:3bBrian Harrison got his first hit as a Gnat, a double and he scored on a ground out.

The final run was scored in the 8th: 2bAlonso Harris led off the inning with a double and scored on a single bycfMatt DenDekker.

Starting Gnat pitcher, Taylor Whitenton, was stellar pitching a 7 inning shutout allowing only 3 hits. He walked three and struck out six. Gabriel Zavalla and Brandon Sage did not allow a hit or run in the 8th and 9th innings.

Augusta 9 Savannah 1

The second game of the four game series between the Augusta GreenJackets and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Wednesday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 1,531 fans.

Savannah scored their only run of the game in the first inning. cfMatt DenDekker singled , moved to second on a balk and scored on a single by lfR.J. Harris(he had 2 of the Gnats 6 hits).

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Darin Gorski (5-8) pitched 4 innings, gave up 8 runs on 7 hits, 3BB, 4strikeouts, and two home runs(one was inside the park home run). Samuel Martines pitched three innings and allowed one run on one hit. Luis Rojas pitched two shut out innings and did not allow a hit.

Augusta 1 Savannah 0

The Augusta GreenJackets returned to Grayson Stadium Tuesday evening to play the Savannah Sand Gnats in a four game series. The GreenJackets edged the Gnats 1-0 in another pitchers duel.

Augusta scored the only run of the game in the 8th inning:rfRyan Lollis tripled and scored on a single by ssYudin Villegas.

Savannah managed three hits for the game with lfR. J. Harris having two hits. cfMatt DenDekker had the other hit.

Starting Savannah Sand Gnat pitcher Armando Rodriquez (6-9) pitched 7 innings giving up one run on 4 hits, walked two, and struck out nine. The final two innings were pitched by Gabriel Zavala and Brandon Sage-they shut out the GreenJackets.

Savannah 9 Kannapolis 3

The second game of the double header was played Monday evening at Grayson Stadium and the announced attendance was 1,333.

To start he game ,the Intimidators scored three runs and Savannah answered with three runs in their first inning. The Gnats scored 4 runs in the 2nd inning and added a run in the 3rd and 6th inning.

Savannah collected 11 hits for the game. cfMatt Den Dekker went 2-for3 and is now batting .433.

rfNick Santomauro was 2-for-4, 1bAlex Gregory was 2-for3, lfR. J. Harris hit a shot over the right field wall for his 5th homer of the year and was 2-for3.

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Collin McHugh, pitched 5 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, struck out 6, and hit two batters. Gabriel Zavalla and Samuel Martines combined two innings of shutout baseball and did not allow a hit, striking out 3.

Savannah 1 Kannapolis 0

The first game of the double header between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Monday afternoon at Grayson Stadium.

Fans saw an excellent pitching duel between Intimidators Justin Collop and Gnats John Church. Collop signed for $122,500 and was a 6th round pick in the 2009 draft. He is ranked as the 30th best prospect in the Chicago White Sox organization by Baseball America Prospect Handbook(2010). Collop pitched 7 innings, gave up 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 4.

Savannah scored their run in the 4th inning when DH Jordan Abruzzo was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a walk to lfJ. R. Harris. Abruzzo scored on a double by rfNick Santomauro.

John Church had great control, a great curve ball and kept the ball low in the strike zone. He induced 13 ground ball outs(5 to shortstop and 5 to second base). Church pitched a shut out in the 7 inning game, allowed one hit in the first inning walked 1 and struck out five. His record is now 7-1.

Rain out

The game for Sunday evening at Grayson stadium between the Kannapolis Intimadators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was rained out. The teams will play a double header tomorrow starting at 5:35. The double header will consist of two seven innings games.

Savannah 8 Kannapolis 2

The third game of the five game series between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Saturday evening in front of 3,064 fans.

Stellar Gnat pitching along with a barrage of Gnats hits helped the Gnats beat the Intimidators, 8-2.

For the game, Savannah had 14 hits. Second baseman Alonso Harris went 3-for5, with two doubles, 2RBI, a home run(5th of season) and scored three runs.. Catcher Dock Doyle was 3-for4. DH Robbie Shields was2for-5 with a home run(his 2nd of the season). 1bAlex Gregory went 2-for4. ssWilfredo Tovar was 2-for4 with a double, a run scored, and 3 RBI's. CF Matt Den Dekker drove in a run with a double in the 6th inning.

Taylor Whitenton was outstanding in his 5 innings of work, allowed only 1 hit, no runs, walked two and struck out 11 batters to improve his record to (7-6). Gabriel Zavala pitched two shutout innings allowing two hits and and struck out two-his ERA is (0.67). Luis Rojas allowed 2runs on two hits and 1 BB in the 8th inning. Marcos Tabata faced three batters in the 9th and struck out two and the final out was a ground out.

Intimidators 7 Gnats 5

The second game of the five game series between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Friday evening at Grayson Stadium before 1,491 fans.

Kannapolis scored one run in the first and Savannah scored two runs in the bottom half of the first:cf Matt Den Dekker singled and scored on a triple by ssRobbie Shields. lfR.J. Harris hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field to score Shields.

Gnats added two more runs in the 7th when cJuan Torres singled and 3bJames Schroeder hit a towering home run that cleared the left field fence, his first home run of the year. Gnats scored their final run of the game in the 8th inning.

Savannah had 9 hits for the game. Den Dekker continued his hot hitting going 2-for-3 and raising his batting average to 500. Gregory was 2-for4; Shields was 2-for4.

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher Darin Gorski took the loss: he went 5 1/3 innings, gave up 7 runs on 9 hits, struck out 6 and walked three. Guillaume Leduc and Pedro Martinez allowed 6 hits and no runs

Lon Forbes

Picture of Lon Forbes

Kannapolis 2 Savannah 0

The first game of the five game series between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Thursday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 1891 fans.

The only two runs of the game were scored in the first inning when Kannapolis had back to back singles by ssTyler Saladino and cfNick Ciolli-both scored when 1bIan Gac hit a double to deep center field.

The Sand Gnats collected six hits for the game. Playing his 4th game as a Gnat and his first appearance at Grayson Stadium, center fielder Matt Den Dekker was 3-for-4 with three doubles.The Gnats had several opportunities to score. Twice the Gnats had a runner on third base and both were tagged out during a rundown on ground balls hit in the infield.

Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Armando Rodriquez(6-8) took the loss. He pitched 6 innings, gave up 2 runs on 6 hits, struck out 9, and did not walk anyone. Samuel Martinez and Luis Rojas combined for 3 innings of allowing 3 hits and no runs and striking out three.

Savannah Storm tryout 111

The third and final tryout for the Savannah Storm Professional Basketball team was held Saturday at the Savannah High School Gymnasium. More than 20 players participated in the workout lasting several hours, involving exercising, various drills and scrimmaging. Prior to the tryout, seven players have signed a contract.

Their are 70 teams in the ABA Professional Basketball League. Savannah will play 30 games in the Southeastern Conference and the league starts in December. Fifteen games will be played at home and fifteen games will be played on the road. The Storm will play their home games at Savannah High School Gymnasium.

The Storm have announced early bird special season ticket packages are now on sale. Fans can get 15 home games for only $100.00, a $50.00 savings. You can contact the Savannah Storm at www.savstorm.com or call (912) 341-4127 for more information.

GreenJackets 15 Gnats 2

The second game of the four game series between the Augusta GreenJackets and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Friday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 1,753 fans. It was the worst defeat of the year for Savannah as Augusta scored 15 runs on 20 hits.
The GreenJackets exploded for 7 runs in the 1st on 2BB, 4 hits, a fielding error by the third baseman, and 2 sacrifice flies. They added two more runs in the 2nd on a two run home run to deep left-center field by cTommy Joseph.
Savannah scored one run in the 3rd when cDock Doyle singled and later scored on a ground out. Cesar Puello led off the 6th inning with a triple-he scored on a double steal when Jet Butler stole second. Puello went 1-for-2 and stole his 39th and 40th base of the year. Doyle was 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Savannah Sand Gnat starting pitcher, Collin McHugh, pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up 9 runs on 7 hits and walked two. McHugh is now 3-7 for the year.

Augusta 4 Savannah 1

The first game of the four game series between the Augusta GreenJackets and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Thursday evening at Grayson Stadium before 2,042 fans.
Augusta's first two batters singled, Nick Liles and Ryan Cavan with Liles advancing to third on a throwing error by the third baseman and he scored on a sacrifice fly. In the 4th inning the GreenJackets scored three runs, on three singles, a walk, and triple by Tommy Joseph which drove in two runs. Baseball America Prospect Handbook(2010) ranks Joseph as the 6th best prospect in the San Francisco organization.
GreenJacket starting pitcher, Andy Reichard, allowed only two hits and no runs, striking out 7 in his 6 2/3 innings pitched.
Savannah scored their only run in the 8th:Cesar Puello was hit by a pitch, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Puello scored on a single by Travis Ozga. The Sand Gnats had 5 hits for the game and Puello was 2-for-3, and stole his 38th base of the season.
John Church(5-1) lost his first game for the Gnats, pitching 4 jnnings, gave up 4 runs(3 earned) on 6hits and struck out 4 and walked two. The bullpen of Gabriel Zavala and Guillaume Leduc combined 5 shutout innings, allowed 2 hits and struck out ten.

Drive 8 Gnats 4

The final game of the five game series between the Greenville Drive and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Sunday evening at Grayson Stadium. The 1,348 fans saw Greenville beat Savannah 8-4.
The Drive had a big second inning, scoring 5 runs on 4 hits, 1 walk and one error. Greenville scored one run in the 3rd and scored two runs in the 6th.
Savannah scored in the 4th inning on a double by cfPedro Zapata and he scored on a single by rfCesar Puello. In the 6th, Puello was hit by a pitch and scored on a Gregory bases loaded walk. dhJefry Marte singled in the 8th and scored on a Gregory ground out. The final Gnat run was scored in the 9th:ssWilfredo Tovar singled and scored on a double by Puello.
Savannah had 8 hits for the game. Marte was 3-for-5, with a stolen base and one RBI. Puello went 2-for-4 scored a run, drove in 2 runs and stole a base(#31 for the year).
Jimmy Fuller had his shortest outing this year(3 innings) and gave up the most runs(6) in all of his starts this year. Three runs were earned, he gave up 7 hits, 1BB, and struck out three. With the loss Fuller is now (7-3).

Savannah Storm Basketball

General Manager, Ed DeVita, of the Savannah Storm, the new professional basketball team in town.

The second try out camp for the players was held Sunday at Groves High School gym.

Thirteen men worked out for hours doing drills and scrimmaging.

The ABA league will start in December, the Storm will play 15 home games and play 15 games on the road.

The next try out will be July 31, 2010.

Greenville Drive 4 Savannah Sand Gnats 2

The fourth game of the five game series between the Greenville Drive and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Saturday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 2,695 fans. The Drive beat the Gnats 4-2 to even the series at two all.
Savannah scored in the 1st inning:rfCesar Puello singled, stole second(his 30th stolen base of the season), and scored on a single by3bJefry Marte. In the 7th, Gnats scored their final run of the game: Marte singled,moved to second on a balk and moved to third on a single by 1bTravis Ozga.
Marte scored on a ground out.
For the contest the Gnats had 8 hits:Marte was 3-for-4 with one RBI and a run scored. Puello was 2-for-4 with a run scored and dhR.J. Harris went 2-for-4.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Armando Rodriquez, only gave up 3 hits(2 hits were in the 1st inning) and took the loss and is now 5-6. He pitched 6 innings struck out 2 and walked one. Collin McHugh pitched the final three innings, did not allow a run and gave up 3 hits, 2BB and struck out one.

Savannah 9 Greenville 3

The third game of the five game set between the Greenville Drive and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Friday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 2,405 fans. Savannah, hit less the first four innings, erupted for five runs on five hits in the 5th inning. Singles by dhNick Santomauro, ssWilfredo Tovar, 1bTravis Ozga,rf Cesar Puello, a double by cJuan Torres along with a sac fly and a fielding error, accounted for the five runs.
In the 6th inning, Gnats scored four runs thanks to two errors and singles by Santomauro, 2bAlonso Harris, cfPedro Zapata, and Tovar.
For the game, Savannah had 9 hits. Santomauro went 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Tovar was 2-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, John Church, went 3 2/3 innings, allowed 5 hits, 3 runs(2 earned runs), 3BB, and struck out three. The bullpen was superb:Marcos Tabata, Brandon Sage, and Gabriel Zavala pitched the final 5 1/3 innings and combined they allowed no runs on one hit and struck out seven. Tabata won his second game of the season.

Savannah 3 Drive 2

The second game of the five game series between the Greenville Drive and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Thursday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 1,740 fans. With ten hits and good pitching, the Gnats edged the Drive 3-2.
Savannah scored in the first: cfR.J. Harris singled, moved to second on a walk to the next batter, and scored on a single by 1bTravis Ozga. In the second, 2bAlonso Harris singled, stole second, and scored on a single by ssWilfredo Tovar. The final Gnat run was scored in the 5th: rfCesar Puello doubled and scored on a triple by 3bJefry Marte-the right fielder may have lost the deep fly ball in the lights as the ball flew over his head and bounced in front of the wall.
Tovar went 2-for-4 and had one RBI.
Sand Gnat starting pitcher, Taylor Whitenton allowed only one run on seven hits, struck out 3 and walked two-he pitched 5 innings and with the win improved his record to 5-4. Samuel Martinez, Gullamue Leduc, and Michael Powers pitched the final four innings and gave up 1 run and struck out five. Closer Powers earned his 12th save of the year.

Greenville 4 Savannah 2

The first game of the five game series between the Greenville Drive and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Wednesday evening at Grayson Stadium. The start of the game was delayed one hour and nine minuets by rain.
The Drive scored a run in the first when rfJeremy Hazelbaker led off the game with a single, stole second, moved to third on a balk and scored on a sacrifice fly.
In the 4th, Gnats scored when rfCesar Puello singled, stole second and scored on a single by cJuan Torres. The second Gnat run was scored in the 5th: dhAlex Gregory doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a wild pitch.
With the score tied at 2 all in the 8th, Drive 2bVladimir Frias hit a solo home run over the left field wall. Greenville added their 4th run in the 9th.
For the night the Gnats had 6 hits:Puello was 2-for-3 with a run scored and Torres was 2-for-4 with a RBI.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Darin Gorski pitched well for his 7 innings of work. He only allowed 3 hits, 2runs(1 earned run), 2BB, and struck out seven. Brandon Sage, who gave up the home run, took the loss in relief and is now (2-5).

West All-Stars 13 East All-Stars 12

#10 Randy Bottner leads off the game for the East team in the Savannah Adult League All-Star game played Thursday Evening at Grayson Stadium.

A good crowd was on hand to watch lots of hitting and runs scored.

After four hours of baseball, the final score was West 13, East 12.

Savannah 6 Rome 2

The final game of the 4 game series between the Rome Braves and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Wednesday evening at Grayson Stadium before 1,970 fans. With the 6-2 win, the Gnats evened the series at 2-2.
Rome scored their 2 runs in the 5th when lfJake Hanson hit a 2 run home run to left center field.
Gnats scored three runs in the 2nd: cJuan Torres and dhJet Butler singled. Torres scored on a single by2b Alonso Harris. A double by ssWilfredo Tovar scored Butler and Harris. Savannah scored single runs in the5th, 6th, and 7th.
For the game, Savannah banged out 12 hits: Butler, who entered the game batting .400, went 2-for-4, scored 2 runs, and increased his batting average to.444. Marte was 2-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI'S. cTorres was 2-for 4. A. Harris was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI's and a double.
Sand Gnat starting pitcher, Darin Gorski with the win is now (3-4). He went 5 innings, gave up 2 runs on 8hits, and struck out four. Gabriel Zavala did not allow a hit or run in his 3 innings pitched and he struck out five. Michael Powers recorded three outs in the 9th.

Rome 7 Savannah 6

Game three of the four game series between the Rome Braves and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Tuesday evening at Grayson Stadium.
Rome scored two runs in the 4th inning, after two singles, cChristian Bethancourt, drove in two runs with a double down the right field line-fans in the stands said the ball hit the chalk on the right field line. Bethancourt is ranked as the 6th best prospect in the Rome Braves organization by the Baseball America Prospect Handbook(2010). The Braves rallied to score 5 runs in the 8th inning.
Sand Gnats scored a run in the first when cfPedro Zapata was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a single by dhCesar Puello. Gnats scored 2 runs in the 3rd, one run came on a home run to right field by 1b Travis Ozga(his 1st HR of the year). The switch hitting Ozga, hit the home run from the left side. Gnats scored a run in the 2nd, 4th, and 7th.
For the game, Savannah had 8 hits. 3bJefry Marte was 2-for-4, with one RBI. Zapata was 1-for-3 with a triple. 2bAlonso Harris was 1-for-2 with one RBI, and he stole 2 bases(Gnats stole 6 bases for the game).
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Collin McHugh,went 6 innings, struck out 9, allowed 2runs on 5 hits and walked one. Brandon Sage in relief took the loss and is now (2-3).

Rome 6 Savannah 5

The second game of the four game series between the Rome Braves and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Monday evening at Grayson Stadium before 2,382 fans. Rome evened the series at 1-1 with a 6-5 win.
Gnats scored two runs in the second: cJuan Torres doubled and scored on a single by ssWilfredo Tovar. 2bAlonzo Harris struck out but reached first base when the ball went back to the screen behind home plate. Harris scored on a single by dhPedro Zapata.
In the 3rd inning, Gnats scored a run: a single by rfCesar Puello who would score on a double by 3bJefry Marte.
Savannah score two runs in the 7th:Tovar and Zapata both singled and both scored on a single by Puello.
For the game, Savannah had 11 hits. Puello led the way with 3-f0r-4, scored a run and drove in two runs. Zapata went 2-for-5. Tovar, who was 2-for-4, increased his average to .405.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher Armando Rodriquez, allowed 7 hits, 4 runs, 1BB, 5K, in six innings of work. Marcos Tabata(0-1) took the loss in relief.

Sand Gnats 1 Rome Braves 0

The Rome Braves returned to Grayson Stadium July 4th to play the first game of a four game set against the Savannah Sand Gnats.
The 3,376 fans saw an outstanding performance by starting Sand Gnat pitcher, John Church,who pitched a 7 inning shutout and allowed only 4 hits. He struck out 2 and walked one. Church was sharp, throwing many 1st pitches for strikes and many of them were curve balls. The pitch-o-meter on the giant scoreboard clocked Church's fastball in the 90-94 range. Church improved his record to 4-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.14.
The Gnats scored their run in the 2nd inning when 1bTravis Ozga doubled and scored on a double by 3bJet Butler. A single by 2bAlonso Harris in the inning, was the third and final hit of the game for the Gnats.
In the 8th, reliever Brandon Sage retired the three batters he faced, and in the 9th Michael Powers retired his first three batters to earn his 10th save of the season.

Ex Gnat pitcher, Stammen helps Nationals beat the Braves

Former Savannah Sand Gnat pitcher, Craig Stammen, helped the Washington Nationals beat the Atlanta Braves, 7-2 Tuesday evening in Atlanta, Georgia. He pitched 71/3 innings, gave up 2 runs on 5 hits, 2BB and struck out 4. In the 8th, Stammen drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. He was recently called up from Syracuse(AAA). Stammen improved his record to 2-2.
Another Gnat player in 2005,3b Ryan Zimmerman, drove in two runs for the Nationals with a ground rule double in the 5th. rfRoger Bernadina, who played for the Gnats in 2005, hit a single and stole a base for Washington.

During the Savannah Sand Gnat season in 2006, Stammen, appeared in 21 games, won 6 and lost 9, and had an ERA of 3.58.

Ashville Tourists 2 Sand Gnats 0

The final game of the 5 game set between the Ashville Tourists and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Monday evening. The 7 inning game was the second game of the double headed and 2,374 fans were at Grayson Stadium.
Starting Tourists pitcher, Chris Balcom-Miller, who is ranked as the 16th best prospect in the Colorado Rockies organization by the Baseball America Prospect Handbook(2010), pitched a complete game(7 innings) and shutout the Gnats on two hits. He struck out 6 and walked one.
Both Gnats hits occurred in the 3rd inning on back to back singles by dhTravis Ozga and1bAlex Gregory.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Taylor Whitenton, had a shutout going into the 6th inning. He pitched 5 innings, allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, walked 3, and struck out 4. Relivers Michael Powers and Samuel Martinez allowed only one hit in the final two innings.

Tourists 9 Gnats 0

The game Sunday, which was suspended, resumed Monday between the Ashville Tourists and the Savannah Sand Gnats with the Tourists batting in the fourth and leading 2-0.
Tourists scored one run in the 4th on a double by 3bNolan Arenado and a single by 1bJared Clark. In the 7th, Ashville scored 2 runs. A three run home run by cfDelta Cleary Jr. in the 9th, highlighted the 4 run inning.
The Gnats were limited to 6 hits for the game. ssWilfredo Tovar, who entered the game with a .375 batting average, went 3-for-3. A double by Pedro Zapata in the 6th, was the Gnats only extra base hit.
Darin Gorski, Marcos Tabata, and Brandon Sage pitched for Savannah.

Gnats and Tourists game suspended

The Ashville Tourists and the Savannah Sand Gnats played three innings Sunday evening and then heavy rains suspended play with the Tourists leading 2-0. The game will be resumed Monday starting at 5:05.
The Monday regularly scheduled game will start one half hour after the suspended game is completed and the second game will be a seven inning contest.

Ashville Tourist 5 Sand Gnats 0

The third game of the five game series between the Ashville Tourists and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Saturday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 2,658 fans. Tourist pitchers shut out the Gnats and allowed 7 hits.
Ashville scored 5 runs in the 6th inning, highlighted by a 3 run homer by dhJared Clark(his 10th).
Gnats had opportunities to score and left 7 men on base. ssWilfredo Tovar was 2-for-3. cDock Doyle was 2-for-4. A double in the 9th by dhNick Santomauro was the only Gnat extra base hit.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Collin McHugh(2-6) took the loss. He pitched 6 innings, 3K, 7 hits, and gave up 5 runs(1 earned run). The bull pen did not allow a hit the final three innings(Luis Rojas, Lance Hoge, Michael Powers).

Sand Gnats 9 Ashville Tourist 0

The second game of the series between the Ashville Tourist and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played at Grayson Stadium Friday evening. The Gnats scored 9 runs on 13 hits and 4 Gnats pitchers shut out the Tourist.
Savannah scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning on 5 hits: Wilfedo Tovar and Pedro Zapata singled. Tovar scored on a single by R. J. Harris. Jefry Marte doubled to score Zapata and Harris. Cesar Puello drove in a run with a single and would score on a throwing error. Puello was 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2RBI, and two runs scored.
The Gnats scored 3 runs in the 5th: Nick Santomauro doubled and scored on a double by Puello. A single by Travis Ozga scored Puello. Ozga scored on a single by Pedro Zapata.
In the 8th Gnats scored their final run when Santomauro hit his second double of the game and later scored on a throwing error.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Jimmy Fuller, improved his record with the win to(7-2). He pitched 6 innings, gave up 6 hits, 1BB, and struck out four. Gabriel Zavala, Luis Rojas, and Samuel Martinez, each pitched an inning in relief and did not allow a hit.
The announced attendance was 1,752.

Ashville Tourist 2 Sand Gnats 0

The Ashville Tourists returned to Grayson Stadium Thursday evening to start the first game of a 5 game series with the Savannah Sand Gnats.
Tourist starting pitcher, Tyler Matzek, did not allow a hit in his 52/3 innings of work and walked 5 and struck out 5(he struck out the side in the 4th). Matzek is ranked by Baseball America Prospect Handbook(2010) as the number one prospect in the Colorado Rockies organization.
The Gnats managed only two hits from the 4 Tourist relievers:2bAlonso Harris got the first hit when he singled in the 7th and cfPedro Zapata doubled in the 8th inning.
The Tourist scored their first run in the 5th when cJose Gonzales singled and would score on a throwing error by the catcher. Ashville added another run in the 9th inning.
The announced attendance was 2,712.

North All-Stars 5 South All-Stars 5

The South Atlantic League All-Star game was played Tuesday evening at beautiful Fluor Fields in downtown Greenville,S.C. The game, which was sold out, was played in front of 6,537 fans. The game was called after 10 inning of play, ending in a 5-5 tie.
Six Savannah Sand Gnats players were on the roster for the South team.

ssWilmer Flores, doubled down the left field corner to drive in two runs for the South. Flores went 1-for-5.
Before the game, p Mark Cohoon, told me "each pitcher will pitch one inning". In the second, Cohoon walked one, struck out two, and retired the side on a fly out to center.
Although lf Juan lagares struck out three times, he doubled down the left field line in the 2nd, and scored on a double by Mesa.
In the 5th inning,pBrandon Moore, entered the game for the South and struck out the side.
In the top of the 7th,Kai Gronauer, entered the game to catch for the South. Gronauer hit a fly ball to right field in the 9th, and the right fielder made a sliding catch.
pJimmy Fuller was in the bull pen in the late innings but was not called upon to pitch.
Both Flores and Lagares played the entire game.
It was reported their were more than a dozen scouts attending the game.
The home run contest was won by Greenjacket third baseman, Chris Dominguez,-he won a replica of the "Black Betsy" baseball bat used by Shoeless Joe Jackson during his major league career.

Cohoon&Zapata lead Gnats to a12-0 win over Rome

The final game of the 3 game set between the Rome Braves and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Wednesday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 1,364 fans. With the win, the Gnats moved into first place one game ahead of Augusta with four games to play in the seasons first half.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Mark Cohoon, won his third consecutive complete game shutout. In 9 innings of work, Cohoon only allowed 4 hits, 2BB, and struck out seven. Cohoon improved his record to 7-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.30.
Gnats score two runs in the 3rd inning:Cesar Puello singled and stole second(his 22 stolen base of the year). Dock Doyle walked. Pedro Zapata doubled to score Puello. Michael Fisher's ground out scored Doyle. Savannah scored 4 runs in the 4th, 1 run in the 6th, 4 runs in the 7th, and 1 run in the 8th.
Gnats had 14 hits for the game. Pedro Zapata had one of the best hitting performances I have seen in six years of watching Sand Gnats baseball-he went 5-for5, one run scored, and drove in 4 runs. Fisher had a double and triple and 3 RBI's. Puello and Gregory had two hits apiece. Doyle drove in three runs.

Savannah 3 Rome 1

The Rome Braves and Savannah Sand Gnats played the second game of the series Tuesday evening at Grayson Stadium. With the 3-1 win over over Rome, the Gnats are now tied for first place with Augusta.
Gnats scored their first run in the 4th, Juan Lagares singled and scored on a triple by Jefry Marte.
Rome scored their only run in the 7th when Matt Weaver reached base on throwing errors, and scored when Kyle Rose doubled.
In the 7th inning, the Gnats scored two runs to break the 1-1 tie and take the lead. Nick Santomauro and Alonso Harris reached base on errors and moved to second and third. Michael Fisher singled to score Santomauro-Harris was thrown out at the plate on the play. Wilmer Flores singled to score Fisher.
For the game, the Gnats had 8 hits. Marte had a single and triple, and one RBI. Lagares scored a run and was 2-for-4 raising his batting average to .300.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Jimmy Fuller went 6 2/3 innings, struck out five, 1BB, allowed only 4hits and the run allowed was unearned. Erik Turgeon(3-1) picked up the win, gave up 3 hits in 1 1/3 innings. Michael Powers earned his 7th save closing out the 9th inning.

Sand Gnats 10 Rome Braves 4

The Rome Braves visited Grayson Stadium Monday evening to play the Savannah Sand Gnats in the first game of a three game set. Entering the contest the Gnats were one game behind Augusta and after beating Rome 10-4, they were still one game behind in the standings.
Rome scored two runs in the first inning without getting a hit, as the Gnats committed two errors.In the 3rd inning, Rome scored a run and they scored their final run in the 8th inning.
Gnats answered in the first inning scoring 5 runs on 6 hits. Pedro Zapata walked and Michael Fisher hit his second home run of the season to left field. Wilmer Flores and Juan Lagares singled. Flores scored when Jefry Marte doubled. Kai Gronauer doubled to score Lagares and Marte. Gnats scored 1 run in the 3rd and 3 runs in the 5th. Juan Lagares hit a home run(his 5th) in the 6th inning for the final run for Savannah.
The Sand Gnats bats were as hot as the weather, banging out 15 hits. Marte led the way with two doubles, 3 runs scored, 1RBI, and was 3-for-4. Gronauer was 2-for-3, 1 run scored and 3RBI's.
Getting 2 hits for the game were, Fisher, Lagares, Flores, and Gregory.
Starting Sand Gnats pitcher,Brandon Moore, pitched well in the heat completing 6 innings. He allowed only 4 hits, gave up 3 runs(1 earned), 3K, 1BB. John Church, Erik Turgeon, and Michael Powers each pitched one inning in relief:combined they allowed only one run, 3 hits and struck out three.
The announced attendance was 2.507.

Gnats 8 Intimidators 7 in 10 innings

The final game of the series between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Tuesday evening at Grayson Stadium. Gnats played another extra inning game, winning 8-7.
In the first inning, Savannah scored when Michael Fisher doubled and scored on a single by Juan Lagares.The Gnats scored in the second, as consecutive hits by Rafael Fernandez, Cesar Puello, Luis Rivera, Alonso Harris, helped the Gnats push across 3 runs runs. Savannah scored one run in the 3rd, one run in the 6th, and tied the score with one run in the 9th. Kai Gronauer reached first base on an error by the shortstop, reached third on a sac bunt and throwing error, and scored the winning run in the 10th on a single by Puello.
The Gnats had 12 hits. Gronauer went 2-for-5, scored 2 runs and had 1RBI. Fernandez was 2-for-4, Rivera went 2-for-4, and Puello was 2-for-4.
Starting Gnat pitcher, Jimmy Fuller, had an off night performance, being taken out in the 4th with no one retired. He gave up 5 runs(4earned), 3K, 4BB, and gave up 5hits. Making his first appearance this season, Samuel Martinez went 2 1/3, 2hits, 2runs, 1BB and 1K. John Church 1 2/3, 2K, 1BB, 1hit. Michael Powers(3-3) won the game pitching 3 innings, and did not allow a run and gave up a hit.

Game two of double header:Gnats 7 Intimidators 1

The second game of the double header between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Monday at Grayson Stadium.
Savannah scored their first run in the 1st inning when Michael Fisher tripled and scored on a single by Juan Lagares.
Kannapolis scored their only run in the 2nd inning when Ian Gac hit a home run over the left center field fence. The powerful first baseman, who was 2-for-3, homered against the Gnats during his previous visit to Grayson.
In the 4th inning, Gnats scored 4 runs. Rafael Fernandez doubled and scored on a single by Dock Doyle. Luis Rivera singled. Alonso Harris reached first on an error by the third baseman to load the bases. A double by Pedro Zapata drove in three runs.
Gnats had 13 hits for the contest: Fisher went 3-for-4, Lagares was 2-for3 with 2RBI's, Zapata was 2-for3 with 2 doubles, and Doyle was 2-for3.
Starting Sand Gnat pitcher, Armando Rodriquez (3-4) looked good picking up the win. He went 5 innings, gave up 1 run on 2hits, 0BB, and 3 strikeouts. John Church pitched 1 inning, 0runs, 1K, 1BB and allowed one hit. Erik Turgeon pitched the final inning and did not allow a run or hit.
The announced attendance for the double header was 2,381.

Gnats edge Intimidators 4-3 in 11 innings

The first game of the double header between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Monday afternoon at Grayson Stadium. The game, scheduled for 7 innings, went 11 innings with the Gnats winning 4-3.
Kannapolis scored their first run in the 2nd inning when Brady Shoemaker hit a 400ft blast over the center field wall for a home run. Shoemaker went 3-for-5 and had all 3 RBI's for the Intimidators.
Gnats scored two runs in the 5th:Alonso Harris tripled to score Michael Fisher who singled and scored Cesar Puello who singled.
The winning run was scored by the Gnats in the 11th inning. Kai Gronauer was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a sac bunt by Fisher. Walks to Nick Santomauro and Puello loaded the bases. A ground out by Harris scored pinch runner Luis Rivera. Pedro Zapata hit a line drive off the glove of the first baseman to score Santomauro with the winning run.
Sand Gnats had 9 hit for the game: Juan Lagares had a triple and was 2-for-5, and Zapata was 2-for-4.
All-star pitcher for the Gnats, Brandon Moore had another quality performance completing 7 innings. He only allowed 2 runs on 7 hits, 2BB, and struck out twelve. Darin Gorski picked up the win in relief going 4 innings, allowed 1 run on 4hits, 1BB, and struck out two. Gorski is now (2-2).

Kannapolis Intimidators 2 Sand Gnats 0.

The first game of the series between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Savannah Sand Gnats was played Sunday afternoon at Grayson Stadium.
Kannapolis got off to a quick start scoring their two runs in the first inning: 2bDaniel Wagner reached first on an infield single and advanced to third on a double by lf Kyle Colligan. Both runners scored when 1bIan Gac doubled.
Savannah had numerous opportunities to score with 10 hits(all singles) and left 13 men on base. Juan Lagares was 3-for-5. Pedro Zapata had two hits and Jefry Marte had two hits.
Considering the temperature was over 90 degrees for the entire game, starting Sand Gnat pitcher Collin McHugh pitched admirably completing eight innings. He gave up six hits, 1BB, and struck out seven. Tyler Whitenton did not allow a run or a hit pitching in relief in the 9th inning. McHugh took the loss and now is (2-3).
Monday the two teams will play a double header(both games will be 7 inning games) with the starting time at 5:35.

Fun at Grayson Stadium.

Saturday evening I went to Grayson Stadium with my friend, Lon, to watch the game between the Sand Gnats and the Kannapolis Intimidators. Prior to the heavy rains postponing the game, Lon went down to the first base gate to get a baseball autographed by Sand Gnat players. Unexpectedly, Gnats second baseman, Alonso Harris, gave Lon a Louisville Slugger bat. Lon was surprised and thankful. It was a nice gesture by Alonso.