Sand Gnats Foil RiverDogs, 5-4
June 25, 2009 - South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Charleston RiverDogs News Release
CHARLESTON, SC - Savannah's Sean Ratliff collected two hits and a pair of RBI as the Savannah Sand Gnats foiled the Charleston RiverDogs, 5-4, in South Atlantic League action Thursday in front of 2,015 fans at Savannah's Historic Grayson Stadium.
With the victory, the Sand Gnats takes the series opener and begin the second half with a 1-0 record and are 36-35 overall while the RiverDogs slip to 0-1 in the second half with a 39-32 overall record.
The RiverDogs jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first when Jose Pirela smacked a leadoff double to left and Melky Mesa smashed his league-leading 15th home run, a two-run shot over the left field wall.
Savannah responded and seized a 4-2 advantage in the home half of the first as the Sand Gnats sent nine men to the plate and collected four hits highlighted by Ratliff's two-run double to right.
Charleston tacked on a run in the second when Garrison Lassiter reached on an infield single, moved to second on Mitch Abeita's single to right and advanced to third on Mike Lyon's single to left. Pirela knocked a single to right that drove home Lassiter to make the score 4-3.
The Sand Gnats captured a 5-3 lead in the fourth when Raul Reyes knocked a leadoff single up the middle and then Jose Jimenez and Rafael Fernandez drew walks to load the bases. Jefry Marte lifted a sacrifice fly to center that plated Reyes for the inning's only run.
The RiverDogs narrowed the gap to 5-4 in the seventh when Mesa hammered his second home run of the game, a solo blast over the left-center field fence for his 16th of the season.
Savannah reliever Josh Stinson (SV, 2) rendered Charleston's bats hitless over the final two frames and tallied four strikeouts to earn his second save of the season.
Sand Gnats starter Chris Schwinden (4-3) earned the victory as he completed five full stanzas and allowed three earned runs on ten hits and one walk while striking out three.
RiverDogs starter Andrew Brackman (1-6) suffered the defeat as he was charged with five earned runs on six hits and four walks while striking out three in 3.1 innings pitched.
Paced by Pirela and Mesa's three hits the RiverDogs amassed 12 base knocks while a quartet of Sand Gnats each collected a pair of knocks accounting for eight of the nine hits compiled in the game
Charleston battles Savannah in Game 2 of the five-game set at Historic Grayson Stadium as the RiverDogs turn to right-hander Casey Erickson (3-2, 1.86) while the Sand Gnats counter with southpaw Robert Carson (4-5, 2.63) with first pitch set for Friday at 6:30 p.m.
South Atlantic League Stories from June 25, 2009
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- Power Rally for Victory - Charleston Dirty Birds
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- Crawdads Walk Off to 6-5 Win in Second Half Opener - Hickory Crawdads
- Sand Gnats Foil RiverDogs, 5-4 - Charleston RiverDogs
- Game One Goes To Sand Gnats - Savannah Sand Gnats
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- Tourists Start Second Half Right - Asheville Tourists
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- Joe Mikulik Named to S.A.L. Hall of Fame - SAL1
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- Manny Banuelos to Pitch in â09 Futures Game - Charleston RiverDogs
- Joe Mikulik Named to S.A.L. Hall of Fame - SAL1
- Evan LeBlanc Added To Sand Gnats Roster - Savannah Sand Gnats
- Wilmer Flores Selected To Play In 2009 XM All-Star Futures Game - Savannah Sand Gnats
- BlueClaws to Host Non-Profit Night July 1st - Jersey Shore BlueClaws
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