SAL1 Charleston RiverDogs

Nieves Nixes 'Dogs Hopes in 7-6 Gnats Win

Published on August 26, 2011 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release


SAVANNAH, Ga. - Luis Nieves' but single scored Blake Forsythe to give the Savannah Sand Gnats a 7-6 win over the Charleston RiverDogs in South Atlantic League action Friday night at Historic Grayson Stadium.

Savannah improved to 36-25 and 75-55 overall with the win, while Charleston dropped to 24-37 and 50-81.

Charleston hurler Mike Gipson worked around a leadoff triple to escape the first inning unscathed, but Savannah pushed across two runs in the second for a 2-0 lead.

Forsythe singled and was pushed to third on a double by Aderlin Rodriguez. J.B. Brown was next, and stroked a two-run single up the middle for the first runs of the contest.

The RiverDogs immediately responded against the Sand Gnats' Angel Cuan to forge a 4-2 advantage in the top of the third.

Shane Brown brought home the first tally with an opposite field double, and Ramon Flores followed with a double of his own to move Charleston in front, 3-2. Cuan induced a groundout and was nearly out of the frame without further harm, but Kevin Mahoney spoiled those plans by smacking a RBI single to left field.

Savannah struck quickly to tie the game at 4 apiece in the fourth inning as they went away from their normal small ball approach to show off their power. Forsythe smoked his ninth homer of the year to dead center field, and Rodriguez pumped his 16th jack of the campaign over the left field fence to even the ledger.

The see-saw affair continued in the sixth, as the RiverDogs pieced together two runs to form a 6-4 cushion. Jeff Farnham lined a RBI double to center field to chase home Jose Mojica, before Garrison Lassiter kept up his solid hitting by lofting a sacrifice fly for the two-run lead.

Gipson lasted a season-long 5.0 innings, scattering the four runs on nine hits and three walks while fanning three.

Tommy Kahnle could not protect the lead, however, as he labored through the sixth and the Sand Gnats re-tied the game at 6-6.

Darrell Ceciliani singled, stole second base, advanced to third on a throwing error and then came plateward on a wild pitch to draw Savannah within a single run. Rafael Fernandez worked a walk, and eventually completed his journey around the bases on Albert Cordero's infield single to even the score.

The two-run Savannah sixth took Cuan off the hook after an uncharacteristically poor outing. Cuan yielded the six runs on nine hits and a walk, while notching just one strikeout over his 18 outs.

Both bullpens were sharp, but Charleston's was the first to relent as Savannah walked off with a win in the 9th against Mike Recchia (2-1). Forsythe walked, and scampered home three batters later when Nieves laid down his perfect bunt single up the third base line. That made a winner of Ronny Morla (3-3), who set down the side in the top of the inning while punching out one.

Charleston and Savannah hook up in the second of this extended five-game series on Saturday at 6:05 p.m. Left-hander Vidal Nuno (1-1, 2.67 ERA) will try to continue his solid pitching for the RiverDogs, while the Sand Gnats are expected to counter with right-hander Erik Goeddel (2-4, 3.54 ERA).

Check out the Charleston RiverDogs Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from August 26, 2011


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