5/12/13

Sand Gnats' Gsellman Silences Braves 3-2 in Debut




Savannah, GA – In his Savannah Sand Gnats’ debut, Robert Gsellman threw 5.1 innings to lead the Savannah Sand Gnats to a 3-2 victory over the Rome Braves in front of 4,664 fans at Historic Grayson Stadium. It was the largest crowd to see a Sand Gnats game in Savannah since Opening Night, 2009 when 4,780 saw the Gnats beat the Augusta GreenJackets 3-0 on April 9, 2009.

The Gnats took a 2-0 lead with two runs in the fourth inning. CF Eudy Pina singled and DH Kevin Plawecki doubled up the left-center gap to put runners at second and third. 3B Cole Frenzel brought home a run with a groundout to first and then RF Maikis De La Cruz ripped single into left to score Plawecki.

Gsellman, who had made two starts for advanced-A St. Lucie this year, was in control over his five and a third innings. He did not allow a runner to reach third base in the first five innings. However, a walk and a single put runners at the corners in the sixth inning, chasing him from the game. Reliever Julian Hilario allowed one run to score, to make the score 2-1, but prevented Rome from pulling into a tie with a strikeout to end the frame.
Gsellman allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out two in his 5.1 innings and earned the win.
A solo home run from 1B Jayce Boyd in the bottom half of the sixth re-established the Gnats’ two run lead at 3-1.
Rome pulled within a run in the eighth, but Savannah reliever Hunter Carnevale struck out DH Carlos Franco to strand the tying run at second.

The winning team in each of the first three games of the series has scored exactly three runs.

The Gnats will send RHP Matt Koch (1-1, 6.05) to the mound Sunday against RHP Patrick Scoggin (2-3, 4.39). First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 pm. Gates to Historic Grayson Stadium open at 1 pm. The radio pre-game show on News/Talk 630 and online at Sandgnats.com begins at 1:45 pm.

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