Tourists 3, Gnats 2

Jefry Marte powered two home runs for Savannah but it wasn’t enough as the Tourists dropped the Gnats, 3-2, in front of 3,164 at McCormick Field Friday night. The 17-year-old from La Romana, D.R. finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI.

The difference maker in the one-run loss turned out to be a sacrifice fly by Tyler Massey in the fourth inning off starter Kyle Allen (3-2). The inning began with a single by David Christensen but an error on the play by Sean Ratliff moved Christensen to second with no one out. After Kiel Roling singled and moved him to third, Massey hit the sacrifice fly to center field.

All of Asheville’s runs would come off the starter Allen, who lasted four innings and permitted the three runs (two earned) on seven hits. The Gnats bullpen was superb for the second night in a row as Manny Olivares and Rhiner Cruz combined for four innings of two-hit baseball.
Savannah had a prime opportunity to tie the game if not take the lead in the top of the fourth when they loaded the bases with one away. Starting pitcher Juan Nicasio then found the zone as he struck out Kai Gronauer and Daniel Stegall to end the inning. It was a similar situation in the seventh when the Georgia boys had two on with less than two outs but back-to-back fly outs by Rafael Fernandez and Josh Satin ended the inning.

Jordany Valdespin was 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot for the Sand Gnats in the loss. The only other Sand Gnat to register a hit in the game besides Valdespin and Marte was Ratliff, who was 1-for-4.

Stephen Dodson (1-0) notched the win in relief while Adam Jorgenson pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.