Gnats Game Notes: Saturday, April 16th Vs. Greenville

Published on April 16, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Savannah Sand Gnats News Release


Savannah Sand Gnats (3-5, 5th, Southern) vs. Greenville Drive (6-3, t-1 st, Southern)

Game #9 - Home Game #2 - Saturday - 6:05

RHP Erik Goeddel (0-1, 9.00) vs. RHP Miguel Celestino (0-0, 1.80)

Historic Grayson Stadium, Savannah, GA

Radio: News/Talk 630 and sandgnats.com

Tonight: The Gnats, who have won back-to-back games for the first time in this young season, look to make it three in a row against the Greenville Drive, South Atlantic League affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. This is game two of a four game series and game two of a nine game home stand.

Last Night: The Gnats beat the Greenville Drive 4-3 in front of 4,313 fans in Savannah's home opener. Alonzo Harris led off the bottom of the first with a solo home run, and Cory Vaughn followed with a two-run blast in the same inning to make it 3-0 Gnats. Harris used his speed to manufacture a run in the fourth inning to make it 4-0. Yohan Almonte rolled through six innings, retiring 12 in a row at one point, yielding just a run on four hits. The Drive pulled within a run in the seventh, at 4-3. The Drive loaded the bases against Gnats reliever Josh Edgin in the ninth, but Edgin struck out the bottom two hitters in the drive batting order to seal the win.

Now Pitching: RHP Erik Goeddel will make his second start of the year for Savannah. Monday, in Hickory, Goeddel gave up a two-run first inning homerun and four runs overall in four innings. He fanned four and did not walk a batter. The Mets drafted Goeddel in the 24th round of the 2010 draft out of UCLA. Goeddel made one appearance for the GCL Mets on August 14, 2010 throwing one inning with one hit and one strikeout. Goeddel underwent Tommy John surgery during his senior year of high school at San Jose's Bellarmine Prep in 2007 and missed most of the next two years at UCLA. In 2010 he was excellent for the Bruins out of the bullpen, striking out 59 and walking 23 while giving up 44 hits in 50 innings. In ratio form, he had a 10.6 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and 7.9 H/9. Coming into the 2011 season, Goeddel was ranked as the Mets' 17th best prospect by Baseball America, and the team's 16th best by Baseball Prospectus.

Hotter Honeck: 1B Sam Honeck was 1-4 with a double last night and is now leading the SAL in batting average at .448 (13 H/29 AB). Honeck's .515 OBP is third in the League. He has hit safely in his last five games, going 8-19 (.421) with two doubles, three RBI, three walks and five strikeouts.

Zo Good: Alonzo Harris was 2-3 with a home run, a bunt single and a walk last night. In 27 plate appearances this year, he has drawn three walks, a rate of 11.1%. In 2010, he walked 20 times in 417 plate appearances, a walk rate of 4.8%. Including 2010 and last night, the Gnats are 6-0 in games in which Harris has homered.

Cordero Turns Corner: In his first four games of the year, Albert Cordero was 0-for-11. In his last two, he's 5-for-7 with a home run.

Vicious Vaughn: In his last three games, Cory Vaughn is 6-12 with a double and a home run. His .485 on base percentage is seventh in the SAL. Vaughn has also played center field for the last three and a half games since teammate Darrell Ceciliani was sidelined with a right hamstring strain. Vaughn saw action in center field in 14 games and 56 on the outfield corners for Brooklyn in the New York Penn League in 2010.

Vs. Greenville: The Gnats are 1-0 against the Drive in 2011. Of the 20 meetings between the two teams, 12 games are scheduled for Savannah and eight in Greenville. In 2010, the Gnats were 4-6 against the Drive in the regular season. Greenville, who won the second half, swept Savannah, the First-Half Champions, 2-0 in the first round of the SAL Playoffs.

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 16, 2011


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