Gnats Come Back to Stop Drive 5-3 Saturday
May 21, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
SAVANNAH, GA - The Savannah Sand Gnats scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to break a 3-3 tie and secure a 5-3 win over the Greenville Drive Saturday night in front of 3,810 fans at Historic Grayson Stadium. SS Robbie Shields was 1-3 with a run scored to extend his hitting streak to 11 straight games, the longest by a Gnat this season.
With the win, the Gnats (20-22) moved back within a half game of the first place Greenville Drive (21-22).
In a tie game in the eighth, Drive reliever Garrett Rau helped the Gnats load the bases with three walks. 2B Wilfredo Tovar then lifted a sacrifice fly along the right field line to bring home 3B Aderlin Rodriguez with the go-ahead run. DH Luis Nieves followed with a smash to third off the glove of Greenville 3B David Renfroe scoring C Blake Forsythe with an insurance run and a 5-3 lead. Nieves, who has hit safely in each of his last five games, finished 2-3 with a walk.
The Gnats scored three times in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. Singles from Shields and RF Cory Vaughn put two runners aboard for Rodriguez, who pounded a two-run triple off the base of the center field wall. Rodriguez then scored the tying run on LF Rafael Fernandez's RBI groundout to second base.
The Gnats brought in closer Josh Edgin with the score tied 3-3 in the top of the seventh. Edgin tossed three scoreless innings with four strikeouts to earn his first win of the year. Savannah starter Taylor Whitenton struck out a personal season-high eight batters in his 4.1 innings of work.
The paid attendance of 3,810 was the second-largest of 2011 for Savannah, trailing only Opening Night, and already the third time the Gnats have drawn over 3,000 in 2011.
The Gnats, who with a win Sunday, have a chance to move into first place, will hand the ball to RHP Ryan Fraser (2-3, 3.05) against Greenville RHP Brandon Workman (0-3, 4.68). First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 pm and gates open at 1 pm. The pre-game show on News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com begins at 1:50 pm.
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