Everything Comes Together in Blowout Win, 10-1
June 6, 2011 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Asheville Tourists News Release
The Asheville Tourists evened up the series with the Savannah Sand Gnats at one game apiece with an absolutely dominating performance Monday night. Asheville stormed out of the gates and Savannah never threatened, falling by a final score of 10-1.
Erik Stavert (2-3, 6.94) went six innings for the Tourists and gave up only one run on six hits. Stavert struck out six Sand Gnats and gave way to Taylor Reid who pitched the final three innings without allowing a run. Reid was credited with the save, his first of the season.
Taylor Whitenton (3-1, 3.74) never found his rhythm as he was roughed up for nine runs, all earned, in just 3.2 innings of work. Whitenton also walked five Tourists in the loss. The Sand Gnats starter struggled with his command all night, consistently leaving pitches up in the zone.
Savannah began the game on a high note when Rafael Fernandez singled in Robbie Shields in the top of the first inning, but that was all the Sand Gnats would score. The Tourists answered right back off Whitenton and took control of the game.
Asheville drew back-to-back walks with one out in the first and Kyle Parker doubled in a run to tie the game. Corey Dickerson followed with a single off the wall that scored a pair. The next batter, Dustin Garneau, slammed a two-run Home Run to dead center-field making it a 5-1 Tourists advantage.
The Tourists put up another big inning off Whitenton in the fourth. They loaded the bases with no outs on a single and two walks. After Cristhian Adames struck out, Bryce Massanari hit a sacrifice fly making it 6-1 Asheville. Parker dug in next and belted a three-run bomb over the center-field wall and just like that Asheville led 9-1.
In the sixth inning, Asheville added another run on a Garneau sacrifice fly. The Tourists had chances to really extend their lead, but the Sand Gnats worked out of several jams late in the game. The home team left nine runners on base in the final four innings.
The Sand Gnats took the field in the eighth inning with Luis Nieves on the pitcher's mound. Nieves, a second baseman, walked the first two batters he faced. He then buckled down and retired the next three Tourists batters with some help from his defense, most notably a diving catch by Fernandez in left.
Asheville worked a season high 12 walks in the contest. The rubber match of this three game series begins at 11:05am Tuesday morning.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 6, 2011
- Everything Comes Together in Blowout Win, 10-1 - Asheville Tourists
- Three-Run Seventh Lifts Shorebirds Past Power 10-7 - Delmarva Shorebirds
- Drive Take Wild Affair with Legends, 6-5 - Greenville Drive
- Power Rally to Tie But Can't Maintain Momentum - Charleston Dirty Birds
- Eighth Inning Rally Provides Second Straight Win - Augusta GreenJackets
- GreenJackets Grab Another Late-Inning Comeback Win - Charleston RiverDogs
- Gnats Game Notes: Monday, June 6 at Asheville - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Lakewood Drops 5th Straight, Falls 8-5 Monday - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
- Crawdads Pinch BlueClaws with 8-5 Win - Hickory Crawdads
- Jurik Joins Rome - Rome Emperors
- Braves Win Pitching Duel at the Cannon - Kannapolis Cannon Ballers
- Power Game Notes - Charleston Dirty Birds
- RiverDogs' Radio Announcer to Take Gilroy's Slammer Pizza Challenge - Charleston RiverDogs
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