8/24/09

Rome 5, Savannah 3




The Rome Braves managed to take the final game of the series from the Sand Gnats, 5-3, at State Mutual Stadium Monday evening. J.J. Hoover (7-5) secured the win in relief for Rome while Brad Burns (0-2) suffers the loss for the Gnats his first start of the 2009 season.
The Gnats tried to make it interesting in the ninth trailing by four as Josh Satin reached when he singled to start the inning. After Nick Giarraputo was retired, Raul Reyes tripled into the right-center field gap to drive in Satin and cut the lead to three. Jean Luc Blaquiere drove in Reyes with his ground out to cut the lead to two but Joey August struck out to end the game.
Rome opened up an early lead on the Gnats as Adam Milligan drove in his 31st run of the season with a single in the first that plated Shayne Moody. Luis Sumoza followed with a fielder’s choice that drove in Joel Campusano and Rome had its, 2-0, lead after one.
The starter from Chickasha, Okla. settled down and retired the side in the second and induced a routine ground ball off the bat of Samuel Sime with two outs in the third. Jefry Marte fielded it cleanly but threw it above the head of Jose Jimenez at first and allowed Milligan, who was on at first, to advance to third and Sime to reach at first.
Burns then threw a wild pitch that scored Milligan and moved Sime to third with two down. Matt Kennelly singled in Sime to add another run to Rome’s lead. Rome scored again in the fifth off reliever Samuel Martinez for its fifth run of the game.
Marte and Reyes each had two hits to lead the Sand Gnats offense while Giarraputo drove in his sixth run of the season for Savannah. He now has six RBI in six games with the club and is hitting .435 (10-for-23) since rejoining the Sand Gnats.
Savannah (25-28, 60-63) returns home at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to start its final homestand of 2009. It’s the final Twofer Tuesday at Grayson Stadium. Fans can receive two-for-one pricing on select Bud products throughout the evening courtesy of Bud Light and 103.1 The Drive. For tickets and more information, visit http://www.sandgnats.com/ or call 912.351.9150.

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