Savannah 10 - Rome 3

Bottom of Order Leads Gnats Past Braves 10-3 Thursday

Savannah, GA – The Savannah Sand Gnats scored eight times in their final three turns at-bat to turn a close game into a 10-3 rout of the Rome BravesThursday night in front of 3,393 fans at Historic Grayson Stadium.

The Gnats (3-4/46-30) broke a 1-1 tied with a five-run sixth inning. CF Brandon Nimmo began the frame with a groundball single into the hole at shortstop. After LF Greg Pron walked, 3B Cole Frenzel rolled a single into right field to score Nimmo from second with the go-ahead run. 1B Nelfi Zapata followed with a line drive single to left to score Pron. An C Albert Cordero single and a SS Philip Evans double each scored a run and then Cordero trotted home with the final run of the inning on a wild pitch for a 6-1 Savannah lead.

The Braves (2-6/38-39) picked up two runs back in the top of the seventh against reliever, and eventual winning pitcher Tyler Vanderheiden. Vanderheiden left the bases loaded for Hunter Carnevale, who, with the bases loaded, forced home the second run of the inning to make the score 6-3. However, Carnevale recovered to strike out RF Chris Edmonson with the tying runs on base to preserve the Gnats’ 6-3 lead.

Savannah added three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, keyed by a two-run double from Evans. Evans was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI. Each of the bottom four hitters in the Gnats’ order had at least two hits and two RBI each.

Savannah starter Logan Taylor left the game after 1.2 innings accompanied off the mound by the team trainer. Julian Hilario gave the Gnats’ 3.1 innings of scoreless relief, his longest outing of the year, to take the team’s pitching staff through the fifth inning.

The Gnats send RHP Matt Koch (5-3, 4.71) to the hill Friday against RHP Mauricio Cabrera (1-4, 4.74). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. Gates to Historic Grayson Stadium open at 6 pm. That radio pregame show on News/Talk 630 WBMQ and online at sandgnats.com begins at 6:45 pm.