The Game Of The Year

Neither the Savannah Sand Gnats nor the Charleston RiverDogs scored for the first nineand a half innings Friday night. However, Savannah 3B Aderlin Rodriguez changed that with one swing leading off thebottom of the 10th inning, blasting a 2-1 offering over the leftfield wall fora 1-0 Gnats’ victory.

The homerun was Rodriguez’s 15th of the year, and histhird in his last four games. His 15 homeruns move him into a tie for second inthe South Atlantic League. The Gnats (5-10/46-36) did not have a hit from thefourth inning until Rodriguez’s game-winning shot.

Gnats’ starter MichaelFulmer gave the team seven scoreless innings, yielding just two hits and awalk while striking out four. He finished seven innings for the second time asa professional. Reliever Chasen Bradfordheld the ‘Dogs off the board in the eighth and ninth innings, while TJ Chism worked a 1-2-3 top of the 10thwith two strikeouts to earn his second win of the year.

RiverDogs (9-6/48-34) reliever Mariel Checo, who gave up Rodriguez’s homer, took the loss to fallto 7-2.

The Gnats and RiverDogs are scheduled to play a doubleheader oftwo seven-inning games beginning Saturday at 5:05. LHP Alex Panteliodis (3-4, 3.81) will take on RHP William Oliver (3-3, 4.43) in game one, while LHP Jimmy Fuller (1-1, 2.70) opposes RHP Brett Gerritse (1-3, 5.02). Gates atHistoric Grayson Stadium open at 4:30 pm. The pre-game show on the radiobroadcast, presented by Subway, on News/Talk 630 and online at sandgnats.combegins at 4:45 pm.