Sand Gnats 3, Bowling Green 2

In a game that featured six errors between the two clubs, the Sand Gnats (17-14) were able to come out on top, 3-2, in front of 2,148 at the Bowling Green Ballpark Tuesday night. Eric Beaulac (2-1) notched his second win while Kyle Allen pitched the final four innings for his second save.

After Beaulac cruised through the first two innings, Savannah’s offense would stake him to a 2-0 lead courtesy of three Hot Rods’ errors in the top of the third. With one out, Joe Cruz (0-1) walked Kai Gronauer and gave up a single to Juan Lagares to put runners at first and second with no one out. Jordany Valdespin batted next and hit into a fielder’s choice that saw Tim Beckham plant the throw in the Savannah dugout after retiring Juan Lagares at second. Gronauer scored on the play to give the Gnats a one-run lead

On the very next play, Valdespin would score on another throwing error, this time by the first baseman Mike Sheridan. In all, the Hot Rods committed three of their four errors in the third inning with two of the three coming from Beckham.

In the fourth, Josh Satin made a key miscue with two on and two out when he dropped a fly ball hit by Mike McCormick that allowed Jake Jefferies and Isaias Velasquez to score and tie the game at two.

The deciding run would score, as fate would have it, on an error in the fifth when Lagares hit a grounder to Velasquez that popped out of his glove and straight up in the air. Raul Reyes, who doubled to start the inning and moved to third on a Gronauer single, scored on the play. It would be the only earned run of the game for either pitcher.
Beaulac worked five innings and permitted two unearned runs on three this. He struck out six while walking three before giving way to the 19-year-old Allen. The Riverview, Fla.-native battled through the final four innings, stranding five runners in the process. He gave up just one hit while walking three and striking out four.

Opening Day starter Elvin Ramirez (2-1, 3.07) will start game three of the series for the Sand Gnats while LHP Michael Jarman (2-2, 2.63) starts for the Hot Rods. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.