5/14/14

Savannah Beats Charleston in Series Finale



The Savannah Sand Gnats overcame a four-run deficit to defeat the Charleston RiverDogs in the series finale on Tuesday at Joe P. Riley Jr. Park. Center fielder Patrick Biondi led the way, going 3-for-5, driving in two runs, and scoring one of his own.

The RiverDogs took a 4-0 lead early, with SS Tyler Wade, RF Aaron Judge, 1B Mike Ford, 3B Miguel Andujar each smacking a double off of Gnats starter Ricky Knapp in the first inning. Knapp then settled down to retire the next 10 batters in a row.

The righty ran into trouble in the fifth, loading the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk, but hunkered down to strikeout Andujar and then induce a LF John Murphyground-out. Knapp finished his five and two-thirds innings with eight hits and four runs, striking out five RiverDogs batsmen.     

Charleston starter Luis Severino cruised through six innings allowing just three hits while striking out five and allowing just one walk before handing over the reins toAndury Acevedo.

The Gnats broke up the shutout in the seventh, dropping five runs on the RiverDogs. Catcher Colton Plaia ripped a base-loaded two-RBI single and then Biondi singled home 3B Jorge Rivero to make it 4-3, chasing Acevedo. Plaia then scored on a wild pitch by RiverDogs reliever Philip Walby to tie the game. Next, third baseman Jeff McNeil poked a single through the left side to knock in Biondi for the go-ahead run.

The eighth was equally disastrous for Charleston as back-to-back walks, a wild pitch, and another walk spelled the end of Walby’s night. Reliever Cesar Vargas then allowed three Savannah insurance runs to score via a wild pitch, a single, and a ground-out.

Gnats reliever Tyler Vanderheiden earned his first win, working around two hits over two-thirds innings. Robert Coles pitched another scoreless two and two-thirds innings, fanning three to earn his eighth save. - team press release

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