SAL1 Greenville Drive

Zimmerman Leads Sandgnats Past Bombers, 8-2

Published on June 24, 2005 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Greenville Drive News Release


GREENVILLE, SC - Just four games into his professional baseball career, Ryan Zimmerman has shown why he was selected first by the Washington Nationals in this June's amateur draft. The former University of Virginia standout went 3-for-5 Friday with a home run, double and four RBI to lead Savannah to an 8-2 victory over the Greenville Bombers at Municipal Stadium.

In four games with the Nationals' South Atlantic League affiliate Zimmerman is 8-for-17 (.471) with two home runs and six RBI.

Sandgnats starter Jim Henderson (6-5), hailing from a much smaller college program, had a big night as well. The righthander out of Tennessee Wesleyan University allowed just two runs over seven innings to earn the win. Henderson broke a two-game personal losing streak in which he had allowed 12 runs over 10 innings in his two starts leading up to Friday.

Bombers righthander Jarrett Gardner (1-3) lost for the third time in his last three starts. Savannah got on the board in the top of the first inning on Zimmerman's two-run double off the right-center field wall.

Greenville countered with a single run in the bottom of the first on Andrew Pinckney's bases loaded RBI single, running his hit streak to 13 games. However, the Bombers only managed one run after opening the frame loading the bases with no out.

Savannah added another run in the third on a Zimmerman home run to left field to make it 3-1. After Greenville tallied a run in the fourth to make it 3-2, the Sandgnats pitchers locked down the Bombers for the remainder of the night.

The combination of Henderson and reliever Ben Cox, who notched his fourth save, set down 15 batters in a row from the fourth through ninth innings. Greenville finished with eight hits, two apiece by Christian Lara and Salvadore Paniagua.

Greenville reliever Mike James was roughed up for four runs in the top of the ninth inning, three coming on a double by Rogearvin Bernadina to blow the game open. James entered the night having pitched ten and a third consecutive scoreless innings without issuing a walk in six outings. Friday, the righthander walked the bases loaded before Bernadina cleared the bases.

The clubs meet in game two of the three-game series Saturday at 7:05pm. Righthanders Gary Galvez (4-1) for Greenville and Ricardo Morales (4-4) for Savannah will pitch.

NOTES: LARA has hit safely in 5 of his last 6 games, going 8-25 (.320)......Rf AUSTIN EASLEY went 1-for-4, running his hit streak to 6 games......Greenville is now 2-2 in the second half.........prior to Friday's game the Bombers added Rhp BEAU VAUGHAN to the roster. Vaughan, the Red Sox 3rd round pick in 2003 out of Arizona State joins the club from extended spring training in Florida. He was 7-3 (3.30) in 14 appearances at "A" Augusta in 2004......Saturday night the first 1,000 fans in attendance receive a free Bombers window decal.....

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South Atlantic League Stories from June 24, 2005


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