Gnats Walk Away with 5-4 Win Friday
August 12, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
SAVANNAH, GA
- Blake Forsythe drew a bases loaded walk to force home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as the Gnats walked away from the Greenville Drive with a 5-4 win on Friday night. The Gnats (30-17/69-47) are now 22 games over .500, tying a season high.
In a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, 2B Luis Nieves began the rally with a single to left field.
Nieves, carrying the winning run advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by CF Alonzo Harris and to third on a single from SS Wilfredo Tovar that put runners at the corners.
RF Rafael Fernandez then walked to load the bases for Forsythe.
On a full count, Forsythe drew the walk to force home Nieves with the winning run as Savannah improved to 19-5 in one-run games at home in 2011.
Greenville reliever Justin Erasmus, who entered the game in the bottom of the ninth was charged with the loss to fall to 4-1.
Tovar was 2-4 with a double and two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to seven straight games.
The Drive (26-20/64-52) evened the game in the top of the ninth with a solo home run from SS Xander Bogaerts against reliever Adam Kolarek.
Kolarek threw five innings in relief of Erik Goeddel, giving up just one run in his five innings of work to earn the win.
Kolarek struck out six and walked one.
Down 1-0 heading to the bottom of the first, the Gnats grabbed a lead with a three-run bottom of the first.
Fernandez brought home the first two runs with a triple up the left-center field gap.
Fernandez came home to score on a throwing error on Drive second baseman James Kang for a 3-1 Savannah lead.
The Drive evened the game at 3-3 with two runs in the top of the third against Goeddel, but the Gnats gunned down a runner at the plate to keep the game tied.
With two outs, C Christian Vazquez doubled into the left field corner.
He chased home Matty Johnson on the play, but strong relay throws from LF Joe Bonfe and Tovar cut down Brandon Jacobs running from first to keep the score even at 3-3.
Goeddel, in his second start back from the disabled list, walked three and struck out two in his four innings of work.
The Gnats send RHP Yohan Almonte (6-6, 3.84) to the mound Saturday in the conclusion of the four-game series against Drive RHP Scott Swinson (3-3, 3.27). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 and gates open at 5 pm.
The broadcast on News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com begins at 5:50 pm.
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