Savannah 10 - Rome 3

Gnats Rally Late for Third Straight Win

Savannah, GA – Friday, for the second straight night, the Savannah Sand Gnats used a big inning against the Braves bullpen to snap a late tie. Friday, three runs in the bottom of the eighth gave the Gnats a 3-0 win, their third straight overall. Thursday, the Gnats scored nine runs in their final three turns at bat in a 10-3 victory.

In the bottom of the eighth of a scoreless game, 3B Jeff Reynolds led off with a single into right field and was then removed for pinch runner Eudy Pina. C Albert Corderosacrificed Pina to second with the go-ahead run. SS Philip Evans lined a single off the glove of Rome first baseman Edison Sanchez to advance Pina to third and put runners at the corners. 2B Chad Zurcher followed with a single into right that scored Pina with the go-ahead run. Evans scored on CF Brandon Nimmo’s RBI groundout to give the Gnats (4-4/47-30) a 2-0 lead. Zurcher scored on a wild pitch from Rob Fish for a 3-0 advantage.

Nimmo threw out a runner at the plate to end the top of the eight inning and keep the game scoreless.

Both starters were in control all night and did not allow a run in a combined 14.1 innings of work. For the Braves (2-7/38-40), Mauricio Cabrera retired 17 batters in a row and 19 of his final 20 batters from the end of the first inning through the seventh. He allowed two hits and struck out eight. RHP Matt Koch matched Cabrera zero for zero on the scoreboard, in his longest outing of the year, a 7.1 inning performance. Koch fanned five and did not walk a batter.

Paul Sewald finished the eighth for Koch and worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first professional win.

The Gnats will send LHP Steven Matz (2-3, 2.57) to the mound Saturday night against RHP Lucas Sims (2-3, 2.98). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm. Gates to Historic Grayson Stadium open at 5 pm. The radio pregame show begins on News/Talk 630 and online at sandgnats.com at 5:45 pm.