Hickory Crawdads 1 Savannah Sand Gnats 0

The final game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads was played in front of 1,111 fans at Grayson Stadium Sunday afternoon.

After 5 innings played, Hickory led 1-0, and the game was called after a rain delay-the field was deemed unplayable. Hickory completed the four game sweep.

Hickory scored the only run of the game in the 3rd inning. Chris Grayson, who entered the contest batting .391, doubled to right field. Hanser Alberto hit a line drive out to pitcher Michael Fulmer, who threw the ball into center field for a throwing error, and a a throwing error by the center fielder allowed Grayson to score.

Crawdads starting pitcher, Victor Payano (W, 2-0) pitched 5 shutout innings, allowed 1 hit, 2BB, and struck out 3.

Savannah starting pitcher, Michael Fulmer, (L, 0-2), pitched 5 innings, allowed 1 run(unearned), allowed 4 hits, 1BB, and struck out 4.

The Sand Gnats only hit was by Tillman Pugh, who singled on a ground ball to left field in the 3 inning.

Hickory Crawdads 6 Savannah Sand Gnats 1

Game three of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats(10-7) and the Hickory Crawdads(11-5)  was played in front of 3,282 fans at Grayson Stadium Saturday evening. Hickory collected 9 hits to win their third game in a row against Savannah, winning 6-1.

Starting Hickory pitcher, Luke Jackson, (W, 2-0) ERA 1.31 pitched 6 shutout innings, allowed 2 hits, 1 BB, and struck out 7. He threw numerous fastballs in the 90-95 range and he showed a good curve ball. Baseball America Prospect Handbook 2012, list Jackson as the 18th best prospect in the Texas Rangers organization and report he signed a 1.545 million dollar contract-he was a first round pick in the 2010 June draft.

Savannah collected 6 hits. Their lone run came in the 8th inning when Tillman Pugh hit a line drive over the left field fence.

Giants Cam Maron hit 2 singles and was 2-for-4 for the game. T. J. Rivera hit a double and was 2-for-4 for the game and he leads the team with the highest batting average at .387.

Starting Savannah pitcher, Tyler Pill, (L, 1-1) pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowed 3 runs on 5 hits, 2BB and struck out 5. Marco Camarena went 3 2/3 innings, allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, and struck out 1. John Leathersich pitched 2 innings, allowed 1 run on 1 hit, 2BB, and 4 strikeouts.

The final game of the four game series will be played Sunday afternoon at 2:05pm at Grayson Stadium.

Hickory Crawdads 5 Savannah Sand Gnats 2

The second game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads was played in front of 1,992 fans Friday evening(April 20, 2012) at Grayson Stadium. With the score tied 2-2 going into the 13th inning, Hickory scored 3 runs on 4 hits to win the game 5-2. Hickory out hit Savannah 13-5.

The Gnats scored their first run in the first inning. Brandon Brown singled, reached second on a hit by Cam Maron and scored on a groundout into a double play. Their second run was scored in the 7th inning when Dustin Lawley singled and stole second base. A fly ball out to right field moved Lawley to third and he scored on a sacrifice fly to center.

It seemed starting Savannah pitcher Domongo Tapia threw every fastball in the 90-97 range, striking out 9 batters, pitching 5 2/3 innings, allowed 2 runs on 6 hits, and walked one. Estarlin Morel pitched 2 2/3 shut out innings, allowed 3 hits and struck out 6. T J Chism pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings, struck out 6 and walked 1. Jared West(L, 1-1) pitched 2 innings,  allowed 3 runs on 4 hits and struck out 2. Collectively, Gnats pitchers struck out 23 Crawdads.

Game 3 of the 4 game series will be played Saturday at 6:05pm at Grayson Stadium.

Hickory Crawdads 7 Savannah Sand Gnats 1

The Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads played the first game of a four game series Thursday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 2,678 fans. Hickory collected 13 hits, three were for triples, to beat the Gnats 7-1

Starting pitcher for Hickory, Jared Eickhoff, (W,(2-1) pitched 5 innings, allowed 1 run on 2 hits, walked 3 and struck out 2. Reliever Santo Perez,  (S-1) pitched 4 shut out innings and  did not allow a hit.

Hickory scored in the first inning when Hanser Alberto tripled and scored on a throwing error by the second baseman. In the 3rd inning, Chris Grayson hit a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly. The Crawdads scored 2 runs in the 4th, 1 run in the 5th, and their final 2 runs in the 6th inning.

Savannah scored their lone run in the 4th inning when Brian Harrison singled and reached second on a balk. He later scored on a groundout.

Starting Savannah pitcher Alexander Panteliodis (L, 2-1) pitched 4 innings, allowed 4 runs on 4 hits, struck out 3 and walked 2. Tyson Seng pitched 2 innings, allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, walked 1 and struck out 1 batter. Carlos Vazquez pitched 2 shutout innings, allowed 1 hit, walked 2 and struck out 2. Pitching the 9th inning, Jared West, gave up 2 hits.

Game 2 of the 4 game series will be played, Friday at 7:00pm at Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 10 Rome Braves5

The final game of the three game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Rome Braves was played in front of 1,410 fans Wednesday evening at Grayson Stadium. Savannah rallied in the 7th inning to win the game 10-5 and win the two out of three game series with the Braves

Sand Gnats trailed 5-3 going into the bottom of the 7th, and exploded for 7 runs on 7 hits to defeat Rome 10-5.

Rome got off to a quick start with leadoff hitter Elmer Reyes hitting the first pitch for a single. Wil Skinner followed with a home run over the centerfield fence for a quick 2-0 lead. In the 3rd inning Rome scored 2 runs. A solo home run by Kyle Kubitza in the 5th, gave Rome a 5-3 lead.

Savannah scored 2 runs in the 2nd inning highlighted by a single by Cam Maron driving in 2 runs. Sand Gnats scored one run in the 6th inning on a home run to left field by Travis Taijeron. Thirteen batters came to the plate in the 7th and 7 runs scored on 7 hits. Aderline Rodriquez drove in a run with a single. A double by Dustin Lawley drove in two runs. Taijeron drove in a run with a single. A double by Luis Nieves drove in 1 run. Brandon Brown had an RBI with a sac fly. T. J. Rivera singled driving in a run.

Sand Gnats collected 13 hits for the game. T. J. Rivera went 4-for-4 with a run scored and 1 RBI. Taijeron was 3-for-5, with 2RBI's and 3 runs scored. Maron was 2-for-3, scored 1 runs and 2 RBI's.

Starting pitcher for Savannah, Logan Verrett, pitched 5 innings, struck out 10, gave up 5 runs(3 earned), and allowed 5 hits. Carlos Vazquez (W,2-1) pitched 2 shutout innings, walked 1 gave up 1hit and walked 1. Tyson Seng shut out Rome the final 2 innings, allowed 1 hit and struck out 2.

Rome Braves 3 Savannah Sand Gnats 1

The second game of the three game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Rome Braves was played Tuesday evening in front of 1,052 fans at Grayson Stadium.

Three Rome pitchers limited Savannah to only 4 hits and 1 run to win their first game of the year, 3-1. Rome scored 2 runs in the 5th inning: Back to back doubles by Chase Larsson and Felix Marte scored Larsson. A single by Elmer Reyes scored Marte. In the 9th, Rome scored their final run.

Savannah scored their run in the 7th inning. Greg Pron walked and stole second base and advanced to third on a ground out. Pron scored after a Gnat strike out.

T. J. Rivera was 2-for-4 for the Gnats and ended the game with a .348 batting average.

Savannah starting pitcher, Michael Fulmer, (L,0-1) was sharp the first four innings, and gave up 2 runs on back to back doubles and a single in the 5th inning. Fulmer went 4 2/3 innings, allowed 2 runs on 3 hits, 2BB, and 4 strike outs. Marco Camarena pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings, allowed 1 hit, and struck out 6. Pitching the 9th inning, T. J. Chism gave up 1 run on 2 hits, 1BB and 1K.

The final game of the three game series will be played Wednesday starting at 7:05 pm at Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 1 Rome Braves 0

Monday evening the Savannah Sand Gnats played the Rome Braves(Atlanta Braves), the first game of a three game series, in front of 2,209 fans at Grayson Stadium. A thrilling finish saw the Sand Gnats score the winning run in the bottom of the 12 inning to win the game 1-0. Both teams provided outstanding pitching and both teams made spectacular defensive plays and no errors were committed.

Savannah scored their run in the bottom of the 12th inning. Leading off the inning, Dustin Lawley reached first on a single. Travis Taijeron hit a ground rule double over the left-center field fence. Albert Cordero was intentionally walked to load the bases.With two strikes, Luis Nieves ripped a single between the first baseman William Beckwith and the line into right field to drive in the winning run.

Starting Savannah pitcher Tyler Pill was superb pitching 6 shutout innings, gave up 3 hits, o walks, and struck out 7 batters. Equally impressive, reliever John Leathersich pitched 3 innings of shutout baseball, gave up 1 hit, walked 1, and struck out 6. Jared West (W,1-0) pitched the final 3 innings, allowed 1 hit, o runs, 1BB, and struck out 4.

Game two of the three game series will be played Tuesday at 7:05 at Grayson Stadium.

Augusta GreenJackets 8 Savannah Sand Gnats 5

The final game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Augusta GreenJackets was played Sunday afternoon at Grayson Stadium in front of 1,119 fans. Greenville won the game scoring 8 runs on 9 hits while Savannah scored 5 runs on 8 hits. The teams split the four game series at 2-2.

In the 4th inning, Savannah scored their first run:Sam Honeck doubled and scored on a single by Luis Nieves who went 2-for-3, scored a run, 1 RBI and finished the game batting.444.

Sand Gnats scored 3 runs in the 5th inning: Camron Maron walked, Brian Harrison singled and both scored on a home run down the left field line by Aderline Rodriquez- last night he also hit a 3 run home run.

Savannah scored their final run in the 6th inning. Nieves singled and would score from third base on a sacrifice fly by Maron.

Starting pitcher for the Sand Gnats, Domingo Tapia, worked 5 innings, allowed 3 runs, on 4 hits, walked 1 and struck out four. Carlos Vazquez(L,1-1) pitched 1 1/3 innings, gave up 3 runs on 1 hit and struck out two. Estarlin Morel pitched the final 2 2/3 innings, allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, struck out 2 and walked two batters.

Monday night at 7:05, Savannah plays the Rome Braves(Atlanta Braves) in a three game series at Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 7 Augusta GreenJackets 1

Game three of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Augusta GreenJackets was played Saturday at Grayson Stadium in front of 2,457 fans. Sand Gnats hot bats banged out 14 hits and four Sand Gnats pitchers limited the GreenJackets to 1 run on 6 hits to win the game 7-1.

Savannah scored the first run of the game. Dustin Lawley led off with a single, moved to third on a single by Travis Taijeron, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Albert Cordero.

In the 5th inning, Sand Gnats scored 5 runs. Hits by T.J Rivera, Gregory Pron, followed by a double by Brian Harrison scored Rivera. A line drive home run over the left field fence by Adeline Rodriquez accounted for three more runs. The fifth run of the inning scored when Lawley singled, stole second and scored on a hit by Taijeron.

The final Savannah run was scored in the 7th inning. Rodriquez and Lawley singled, and Rodriquez scored from third on a single by Camden Maron.

Starting pitcher for Savannah, Alexander Panteliodis, pitched 5 innings, allowed 1 run(unearned) on 4 hits, walked 1, struck out 3 to pick up the win. Reliever Tyson Seng, pitched 1 inning, allowed 1 hit and struck out one batter. T.J. Chism, allowed 1 hit, walked 1, struck out 1, in an inning pitched. Jared West in the ninth, faced three batters, striking out one.

The final game of the four game series is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, 2:05 , at Grayson Stadium.

Augusta GreenJackets 6 Savannah Sand Gnats 5

The second game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Augusta GreenJackets was played Friday evening at Grayson Stadium in front of 1,782 fans. Augusta rallied scoring 3 runs in the 9th inning to win the game, 6-5.

Savannah scored a run in the 1st inning: Tillman Pugh reached base on an error by the left fielder, reached third base and scored on a wild pitch.

In the 5th inning Savannah scored three runs. Luis Rivera singled, stole second, and wound up on third on a wild pitch. Back to back walks loaded the bases for Aderline Rodriquez who doubled to right-center field scoring three runs and gave Savannah 4-0 lead.

The 7th inning saw the Sand Gnats score a run when Maron Camden doubled, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Dustin Lawley. Savannah led 5-3

Starting Savannah pitcher, Rafael Montero pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowed 2 runs on 4 hits, 0BB, and struck out 4. Reliever Tyson Seng struck out a batter in 1/3 innings pitched. John Leathersich worked 2 innings, gave up 1 run on 2 hits, and struck out 3. Losing pitcher, Estarlin Morel, gave up 3 runs on 3 hits, 1BB, 1 K, pitching 1 inning.

Both teams will play game three of the four game series tomorrow starting at 6:05 pm at Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 3 Augusta GreenJackets 2

It was opening night, Thursday, April 5th for the Savannah Sand Gnats as they played the Augusta GreenJackets in front of 3,310 fans at Grayson Stadium. Strong Savannah pitching and timely hitting helped the Sand Gnats win their home opener. Fans saw an exciting finish with Luis Nieves leading off the bottom of the ninth reached third base on a fielding error by the right fielder. Back to back intentional walks loaded the bases for Charley Thurber who singled to right to drive in the winning run for the 3-2 Sand Gnat win. Thurber had two hits for the game and teammate TJ Rivera had two hits.

Savannah scored two runs in the 5th inning. Travis Taijero was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, and would later score on a force out. Thurber singled to score Gregory Pron who reached base on a force out.

Starting Savannah Sand pitcher Logan Verrett was masterful pitching 5 innings, allowed only two hits, gave up one run(unearned), striking out 4, and walked two.

Marco Camarena pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed 1 run(unearned) 2K, 1BB.

Carlos Vazquez excelled pitching 2 1/3 innings, striking out the side in the 8th, allowed o hits, no runs in 2.1 innings of work picking up the win. He struck out 5 batters.

Tomorrow at 7:05 both teams play the second game of the four game series at Grayson Stadium.