Asheville 5, Gnats 3

An eighth inning double by Delta Cleary drove in the decisive runs for Asheville as they defeated the Sand Gnats, 5-3, Monday night at Historic Grayson Stadium. Erik Turgeon (1-1) suffered the loss for the Sand Gnats while Alan DeRatt (1-0) picked up his first win. With the score tied at three in the eighth inning Turgeon walked Carlos Martinez to start the inning and permitted a single to Scott Robinson to put two on with no one out for Asheville. After a passed ball by Kai Gronauer that moved up the runners to second and third, Cleary delivered the double to left-center that plated the go-ahead runs. Savannah led early in the contest when with two away in the first, Josh Satin doubled into center field to drive in Wilmer Flores and Eric Campbell. The two-run lead would last until the third when Asheville scored three unearned runs off starter Robert Carson. The Gnats would benefit from a Tourists’ error in the fifth to help them tie the game when Juan Lagares scored on a throwing error by the center fielder Cleary. Carson had his best outing at home this season in tonight’s game as he threw six innings and allowed the three unearned runs. In the two Ashville wins, six of the eight runs they have scored have been unearned. Jimmy Johnson pitched the final 1.2 innings without allowing a hit for the Sand Gnats.