Crawdads Stun Gnats with Two out Walk off Home Run Wednesday
Published on April 13, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
HICKORY, NC - Hickory Crawdads catcher Tomas Telis launched a three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning off Savannah reliever Gabriel Zavala to give the Hickory Crawdads a stunning 7-5 come from behind win over the Savannah Sand Gnats Wednesday afternoon. It is the fifth loss in a row for the Gnats (1-5) who led the game for almost all of the final eight innings.
The Gnats finish their seven-game season-opening road trip Thursday evening in Hickory before coming home for Opening Night 2011, on Friday, April 15. First pitch against the Greenville Drive will be 7:05 on Friday night with fireworks after the game. Gates will open two hours before first pitch. Fans are encouraged to go online to sandgnats.com and select the print at home option for their tickets to skip any lines on Opening Night.
Savannah took a 5-4 lead into the bottom of the ninth to set up the dramatic finish. With one out, Zavala hit LF Teodoro Martinez with a pitch. After a walk to put runners at first and second, CF Jacob Skole hit a smash on the right side. Gnats 2B Luis Nieves dove, came up with the ball and was able to get one out at second, but Skole hustled down to first to beat the relay and keep hope alive for Hickory (5-2). The Gnats were one out away from a victory, but the Crawdads had runners at the corners, and the tying run at third. Telis, the catcher, followed by driving a 3-0 pitch over the right field wall to give Hickory the win.
The Gnats took a 4-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Red-hot 1B Sam Honeck began the inning with a double and CF Cory Vaughn singled to put runners at the corners. 3B Aderlin Rodriguez hit into a fielder's choice that brought home the game's first run. C Blake Forsythe followed with a two-run home run to left field to bring home Rodriguez and give the Gnats a 3-0 advantage. A SS Wilfredo Tovar single and two errors on Hickory 3B Jonathan Roof helped make it 4-0 Savannah. Honeck finished 3-for-4 and is now hitting .476 in the Gnats' first six games.
Hickory picked up a run in the bottom of the second and three more in the bottom of the fourth off Gnats starter Greg Peavey to tie the score at 4-4. Peavey, who threw five shutout innings in his first start, was charged with four runs in five innings Wednesday.
The game didn't stay tied very long. With one out in the top of the fifth inning, RF Javier Rodriguez tripled and then scored on Honeck's single into right field to give Savannah a 5-4.
The Gnats look for a win to finish off their road trip with a win when they send RHP Taylor Whitenton (0-0, 3.86) to the mound Thursday at 7 PM against Hickory RHP Nick Tepesch (0-0, 0.00). Catch all of the action live on News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com.
OPENING NIGHT, 2011
The Savannah Sand Gnats Opening Night is Friday, April 15th, against the Greenville Drive, SAL affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, with FIREWORKS after the game. Gates will open two hours before first pitch. The first 5,000 fans on Opening Weekend will receive a Magnet Schedule Giveaway presented by the US Coast Guard.
SINGLE GAME SEATS
Single game seats for all of the Gants 70 home games in 2011, including Opening Night and July 4th are now available. Tickets may be purchased online at sandgnats.com, by calling (912) 351-9150, or by visiting the Gnats front office at Historic Grayson Stadium between 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday - Friday.
South Atlantic League Stories from April 13, 2011
- Suns, Legends Split Doubleheader As Harper Hits First Minor League Home Run - Hagerstown Suns
- Lakewood Splits Doubleheader Against Greensboro Wednesday Night - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Legends, Suns Split; Harper, DeShields Hit First Professional HRs - Lexington Legends
- Drive Experience Role Reversal, Lose 11-2 - Greenville Drive
- West Virginia Loses 13-2 To Asheville - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Home Runs Power Kannapolis To 8-3 Win In Game Three - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Another Big Inning Leads to Fifth Straight Win - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Flores, R'Dogs Bark Back, Beat Drive 11-2 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Braves Outlast GreenJackets - Rome Emperors
- Gipson Promoted to Charleston, Lewis Transferred to Staten Island - Charleston RiverDogs
- Jackets Fall in Marathon Matinee - Augusta GreenJackets
- Crawdads Stun Gnats with Two out Walk off Home Run Wednesday - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Intimidators to Debut Alternate Logo April 16 - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Telis and 'Dads Walk off Against 'Gnats, 7-5 - Hickory Crawdads
- Shorebirds Game Notes: Vs. Kannapolis - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Intimidators to Send Buch to the Mound Against 'Birds - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- RiverDogs and Gildan Partner to Help Peninsula Youth - Charleston RiverDogs
- Gnat Game Notes April 13 - Savannah Sand Gnats
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