Savannah 2, Augusta 1

Sean Ratliff scored from second base on an Eric Campbell single through the left side to give Savannah the, 2-1, walk-off win Saturday night in front of 1,309 at Historic Grayson Stadium. Erik Turgeon (1-0), who pitched a perfect top of the frame, picks up the win.

A strange play helped set up the game-ending hit by Campbell. Before Campbell’s at bat, Jean Luc Blaquiere attempted to put down a sacrifice bunt to move Ratliff to second. Instead the ball when up towards the backstop where GreenJackets’ catcher Johnny Monell slid to catch it. Ratliff then tagged up and headed to second to setup the heroics from Campbell.

The Sand Gnats trailed for most of the evening after Augusta plated one run in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI groundout by Josh Mazzola. Savannah wouldn’t get on the scoreboard until the seventh inning when Juan Lagares slapped a ball to the right side that Augusta second baseman Juan Perez misplayed, allowing Lagares to reach first. After a single by Rafael Fernandez, Jefry Marte single in Lagares to tie the game at one.

Jeff Kaplan was marvelous over five innings of work out of the bullpen for the Sand Gnats. The Cal State Fullerton product didn’t allow a run or a walk while striking out three.

Marte finished the game 3-for-5 while Wilmer Flores was 2-for-5. Jimmy Johnson worked 0.2 of an inning in relief of starter Jeurys Familia