Gnats Game Notes: Tuesday, May 18 @ Augusta - 7:05 pm

From Press Release:

Savannah Sand Gnats (24-14, 1st, Southern) vs. Augusta GreenJackets (23-15, 2nd, Southern)

Game #39- Road Game #19 - Tuesday – 7:05

RHP Brandon Moore (2-2, 2.52) vs. RHP Kyle Vazquez (3-1, 2.88)

Lake Olmstead Stadium - Augusta, GA

Radio: WBMQ News/Talk 630, http://www.sandgnats.com/


Tonight: The first-place Gnats play game three of a four-game series against the second-place Augusta GreenJackets. The Gnats, who have been shut out in the first two games of the series, hold a one game lead over the GreenJackets for first place in the SAL Southern Division.

Last Night: The GreenJackets shutout the Gnats 3-0 as Savannah was held to a season-low two hits. Mark Cohoon suffered his first defeat of the year giving up two runs on seven hits in five innings, his shortest outing of the year.

Now Pitching: Brandon Moore will make his sixth start for the Savannah Sand Gnats. The Gnats are 3-2 when Moore throws and have supported him with 4.2 runs per game, the lowest mark among all Gnats pitchers with four or more starts. Moore has been very sharp in his three May starts with a 2.25 ERA. In 20 IP, he’s allowed 12 hits while striking out 24 batters and walking just four. Moore was 6-3 with a 2.09 ERA in 82 innings over 13 starts for the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2009, striking out 71 batters and walking 17. Moore threw the first no-hitter in Brooklyn Cyclones history on August 23, 2009 striking out six and walking three that day to help the Brooklyn Cyclones beat the Aberdeen Ironbirds 5-0 in game one of a seven-inning doubleheader. The Mets drafted Moore in the 14th round out of Indiana Wesleyan University in 2008 where he was the Mid-Central College Conference Player of the Year. Moore struck out 104 batters in 76.2 IP, making his 12.8 K/9 IP second in the NAIA.

Vs. Augusta: The Gnats are 4-6 against Augusta, 1-3 at home and 3-3 on the road. The series the GreenJackets won from Savannah, April 12-15, is the only series the Gnats have lost this year. The Gnats’ series record is a sparkling 6-1-2.

GreenJacketed: The Gnats have had trouble scoring runs against Augusta pitching this year and have been shut out for the first 27 innings of this series and 30 innings overall. Savannah has been shut out four times this year, all against Augusta. However, Savannah’s single highest output for runs in a game (16) came in Augusta on April 22.