Drive Roll To 8-3 Win In Game One Of Division Championship Series
Published on September 8, 2010 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release
GREENVILLE, SC - The Greenville Drive rolled to an 8-3 win over the Savannah Sand Gnats in game one of the best-of-three Southern Division Championship Series Wednesday night at Fluor Field in Greenville, SC. The Gnats must win Friday night at Historic Grayson Stadium to force a winner-take-all game three Saturday night.
The Gnats took a 1-0 lead four batters into the game. 2B Luis Nieves doubled off the left field wall, and came home when Drive 3B Michael Almanzar couldn't field DH Jordan Abruzzo's bouncing ball to third.
The game turned when Greenville scored five times in the bottom of the fourth inning against Savannah starter Armando Rodriguez. Only one of the five runs was earned. A single, an error by 3B Aderlin Rodriguez and a fielders' choice put runners at first and second with one out. Greenville's 1B Reynaldo Rodriguez gave the Drive a 2-1 lead with a two-run double off the replica Green Monster in left field. A bloop and a walk loaded the bases for CF Reymond Fuentes who made it 3-1 Greenville with a sacrifice fly to left. C Christian Vazquez followed by lacing a double into the left-center field gap to drive home two more runs to put Greenville ahead 5-1.
Armando Rodriguez, who was visited by Savannah trainer Brad Hutson in the third, came back out in the fourth, but did not retire a batter in the inning. LF Shannon Wilkerson, who was 4-4, led off the inning with a single. RF Jeremy Hazelbaker's triple into the right field corner both chased home Wilkerson, and chased Rodriguez from the game. Rodriguez was charged with seven runs, three earned in three-plus innings. Reynaldo Rodriguez doubled against reliever Marcos Tabata for a 7-1 Drive lead in the fourth.
Savannah picked up single runs in the fifth and eighth innings, but could not mount a comeback. In the fifth, RF Cody Holliday doubled and scored. He drove home 3B Aderlin Rodriguez who had doubled, with a single into left in the eighth. Holliday was 4-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored.
The Gnats send RHP Taylor Whitenton (8-9, 4.57) to the mound Friday against RHP Chris Balcom-Miller (7-7, 3.30) for the Drive. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05. Gates open at 6 pm and the pregame show on News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com begins at 6:50.
For tickets and more information, please call (912) 351-9150 or visit sandgnats.com.
South Atlantic League Stories from September 8, 2010
- Drive Roll To 8-3 Win In Game One Of Division Championship Series - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Drive Squash Sand Gnats, 8-3, in Southern Division Series Opener - Greenville Drive
- Crawdads fall in NDCS opener against Lakewood - Hickory Crawdads
- Drive Roll to 8-3 Win in Game One of Division Championship Series - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Drive Squash Sand Gnats, 8-3, in Southern Division Series Opener - Greenville Drive
- Crawdads Fall in NDCS Opener Against Lakewood - Hickory Crawdads
- Record-Setting Night for May as Claws Win Game One 7-0 - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Gnats Game Notes: Southern Division Championship Series Game 1 - Savannah Sand Gnats
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