Rome 5, Gnats 2

The Gnats once again waited too late to start their rally as they loaded the bases in the ninth inning but to no avail as Josh Satin flew out to centerfield to end the game and give Rome a, 5-2, win over the Sand Gnats at State Mutual Stadium. Dimaster Delgado (3-5) struck out eight Sand Gnats batters in seven innings for his third win of the year for the Rome Braves.

Savannah scored first in the contest when Jose Jimenez doubled to start the third and Jefry Marte singled him in two batters later to help the Gnats to a, 1-0, lead.

Starting pitcher Lance Hoge pitched well for the Sand Gnats through his four innings of work. However, Rome would tie the game in the fourth off Hoge when Joel Campusano hit a two-hop ball to Marte at third that glanced off his glove and into left field allowing Braeden Schlehuber to score the tying run. Hoge would get out of the inning with no further damage.

Manny Olivares was called out of the bullpen in the fifth and only lasted a third of an inning as Rome touched him up for four runs on five hits to open up a, 5-1, lead. Olivares turned it over to Phillips Orta with two on and Rome up 3-1 but Orta allowed his only hit of the game to Schlehuber, who drove in two runs to make it, 5-1.

The Gnats had opportunities in the sixth and seventh innings, getting two on with less than two outs on both occasions, but were unable to produce any more runs until the ninth. Jean Luc Blaquiere, who reached on a throwing error by Shayne Moody, scored on a Jose Jimenez single to bring the Sand Gnats within three before Angelo Paulino closed it down for his first save.
Marte led the Gnats offense with three hits while Jimenez finished 2-fof-4 with his first RBI of 2009.