Gnats Sweep Drive
August 10, 2012 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
Savannah, GA - The Savannah Sand Gnats swept a doubleheader from the Greenville Drive by scores of 3-2 and 9-5 Friday at Historic Grayson Stadium. Savannah's three-game winning streak matches their second-half best.
The Gnats (21-27/62-53) scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning of game one on a throwing error by reliever Tyler Lockwood. LF Greg Pron led off with a double, advanced to third on RF Charley Thurber's single into left and then scored when Lockwood threw SS Matt Reynolds' nubber to the backstop.
Thursday's game was suspended after one inning after rain halted play and made field conditions unplayable.
Domingo Tapia took the ball for Savannah in the resumption of game one, and was effective over six innings of work, yielding two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out eight.
The Drive (22-25/56-61) built a 2-0 lead with single runs against Tapia in the fifth and sixth innings both of which were facilitated by leadoff walks. Neither inning saw a hit to the outfield.
The Gnats evened the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double by 2B Brandon Brown.
The Gnats equaled their entire offensive output of game one in the first inning of game two. Cole Frenzel swatted a three-run homerun to put the Gnats ahead 3-0. It was the third home run as a Gnat for Frenzel. Frenzel led off the third inning with a double and then scored on C Albert Cordero's single into centerfield to put Savannah in front 4-0.
The Drive closed to within a run at 4-3 in the top of the fourth against reliever Carlos Vazquez. The big play in the inning occurred when SS Jose Vinicio singled home two runs with a bouncer off the glove of Gnats' shortstop Yucarybert De La Cruz.
Savannah pulled away from the Drive with a five run bottom of the fourth inning. The first five batters all reached base. The second was scary. Gnats' shortstop Yucarybert De La Cruz popped a ball into shallow left. Both Greenville SS Vinicio and LF Keury De La Cruz chased the ball, and slid into each other in shallow left. Both left the game and had to be helped off the field by teammates after the collision. Later in the inning, 3B Dustin Lawley doubled home two runs, and Pron singled up the middle to drive in two runs to establish a 9-3 Savannah lead.
Making his first start of the year, Randy Fontanez struck out six in his 2.2 innings of work in game two. Reliever Chasen Bradford earned the win as the only Gnats' pitcher who followed and did not allow a run to score.
The Gnats look for the four-game sweep, Saturday when RHP Marcos Camarena (6-4, 3.35) takes the ball against LHP Mickey Pena (6-5, 2.43). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05. Gates open at 5 pm at Historic Grayson Stadium. The radio broadcast, presented by Subway, begins on News/Talk 630 and online at sandgnats.com at 5:45 pm.
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