Gnats Sweep Drive

The Savannah Sand Gnats and the Greenville Drive played a double header Friday afternoon at Grayson Stadium. Savannah came from behind to win both games, 5-4 and 5-2.
Game one:
Greenville scored 2 runs in the 2nd inning.
Savannah scored three runs in the 4th inning.cfBrandon Nimmo and dhMaikis De La Cruz both walked and advanced  a base on a wild pitch. 2bDilson Herrera hit a sack fly to score Nimmo. 3bCole  Frenzel hit a 2 run home run over the right field fence.(His 7th home run of the season).
Greenville tied the score at 3-3 in the 5th inning on back to back doubles by ssJose Vinicio and cfJesus Loya. The final run for the Drive came in the 7th inning on a home run over the right field fence by 1bBoss Moanaroa(His 4th home run of the year).
The Sand Gnats scored 2 runs in the 6th inning.
Starting pitcher for Savannah, Tim Peterson , Won, (1-0), pitched 6 innings, allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, 0BB, and struck out 2. Reliever, Beck Wheeler, pitched 1 inning, allowed 1 run on 2 hits, 0BB, 0 strike outs to earn his 18 save of the year.

Game two:
Greenville pitcher, Cody Kukuk, was masterful for 5 innings, striking out 9 and did not allow a hit .
However it changed in the 6th inning when Savannah erupted for 5 runs on 4 hits and took advantage of 2BB and two throwing errors
Greenville scored their two runs in the 6th inning on a single by rfAneury Tavarez and doubles by 1bMario Martinez and lfKendrick Perkins.
Starting Savannah pitcher, Steven Matz, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, 3BB, and 6 strike outs.
Wanel  Messa pitched 1 1/3 innings, no runs on 1 hit, 1BB, and struck out 2.With the win, Messa is now 2-2.
The announced attendance was 1,777.
Both teams play a double header starting at 5:05 pm Saturday at Grayson Stadium.

West Virginia Power 4 Savannah Sand Gnats 3

The final game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the West Virginia Power was played in front of 1,498 fans Sunday afternoon at Grayson Stadium. West Virginia  won 4-3 and won 3 out of 4 games.
Savannah got off to a good start scoring 2 runs in the 1st inning. rfEudy Piña led off with a single. dhBrandon Nimmo walked. cfMikis De La Cruz singled to load the bases. A run scored when 3bCole Frenzel walked. lfStefan Sabal walked and the second run scored.
West Virginia scored a run in the 3rd inning when 3bJimmy Rider doubled and scored on a single by rfWalker Gourley.
With the bases loaded in the 5th inning for Savannah, Frenzel was hit by a pitch and the 3rd run scored for Savannah.
West Virginia took the lead in the 7th inning. 2bChris Diaz singled and catcher Francisco Diaz walked followed by a home run over the left field fence by Rider, to give the Power 4-3 lead which was the final score. Rider, who intered the game batting .190, went 4-4 with 3 RBI's and scored 2 runs  batting in the nineth position.
Savannah starting pitcher, Seth Lugo, pitched well, going 7 innings, allowed 4 runs on 9 hits, walked 2, and struck out 7. Lugo is now 2-1 and his ERA is 2.42
Reliever, Eastarlin Morel pitched the final 2 innings, allowed 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, and struck out 4.

Gnats Split Double Header with Power

The Savannah Sand Gnats and the West Virginia Power played a double header Saturday afternoon at Grayson Stadium. West Virginia won the first game 6-3 and Savannah won the second game 6-1.
Game one:
In the 2nd inning, West Virginia scored three runs. Leading off the inning, 2bDilson Herrera hit a home run over the left field fence, his 11th  home run of the year. dhJordan Steranka singled and scored when catcher, Franscio Diaz hit his first home run of the year over the right field fence.
Savannah tired the game in the second inning. rfEudy Piña was hit by a pitch. dhBrian Harrison walked. Catcher, Albert Cordero,  singled to score a run. ssPhilip Evans singled to drive in 1 run. Cordero scored on a ground out.
West Virginia scored three runs in the 9th inning. Two runs scored on back to back walks followed by a triple by Franscio Diaz. A single by Christopher Diaz  scored a run.
Sand Gnats managed four hits for the game, Cordero was 1-for-3 and played outstanding defense behind the plate, throwing out 2 runners trying to steal second base and he picked off 2 runners who could not return to first base in time.
Savannah pitching:
                                   .        IP.     Hits.     Runs.     BB.   K.        ERA
 Tim Peterson                       3.        4.          3.          2.     2.           5.75

Jake Kuebler.                       4 1/3.    3.         0.          1.     3.           2.70        


Beck Wheeler.                      1.          3.         3.          2.     3.           2.28
Lost, 1-6
Hunter Carnevale.                2 /3.       0.         0.          0.     2.          3.76


Game 2

Savannah scored three runs in the 4th inning on 1 hit, 2 walks and 2 throwing errors by the shortstop, a throwing error by the center fielder and a wild pitch.
West Virginia scored their run in the 6th inning
Sand Gnats scored three runs in the 6th inning. 1bBrian Harrison singled. lfStefon Sabol doubled. Catcher Jeff Glenn singled to score a run. cfBrandon Nimmo doubled to score 2 runs.
Savannah starting pitcher Steven Matz, was sharp, pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowed 4 hits, 1 run, 2BB, and struck out 7. With the win, Matz is now 5-6. Paul Sewald pitched 1 2/3 innings allowed no runs on 1 hit, 1 BB, and struck out 2 to earn his 7th save of the season.
The announced attendance was 2,912.
The final game of the series starts at 2:05pm Sunday at Grayson Stadium.

West Virginia Power 4 Savannah Sand Gnats 2

Game one of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the West Virginia Power was played Friday evening in front of  2,669 fans at Grayson Stadium. West Virginia won 4-2
In the 4th inning the Power scored 3 runs. ssMax Moroff  led off the inning with a towering home run over the right field fence, his 8th home run of the year. 1bWalker Gourley reached first on a bunt and scored when dhJordan Steranka tripled. A double by cfRaul Fortunato scored Steranka.
Savannah scored two runs in the 7th inning. rfEudy Piña walked and 3bJeff Reynolds was hit by a pitch. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch. A single by catcher Jeff Glenn scored both runners. Savannah had 5 hits for the game. Glenn was 2-for-4.
West Virginia added a run in the 9th  inning
Savannah Pitchers:                    IP.    Hits.    Runs.    BB.  K.      ERA
Luis Cessa.                                 6.        6.          3.        0.     5.       3.15
(Lost,7-4)
Wanel Messa.                            3.        3.          1.         2.     1.        4.33

The teams play a double header starting at 5:05 pm Saturday at Grayson Stadium.

Hickory Crawdads 2 Savannah Sand Gnats 1

The final game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads was played in front of  1,318 fans Sunday afternoon at Grayson Stadium.
Fans saw an exciting game with the winning run scored  in the 9th inning. Hickory won 2-1 and tied the series at 2-2.
Savannah took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  2bJorge Rivero reached first on a fielding error by the shortstop and moved to second on a ground out. A single by 1bBrian Harrison scored Rivero.
Hickory tied the game in the 4th inning. dhJoey Gallo walked and later scored on a single by catcher, David Lyon.
Going into the 9th inning tied, leading off for Hickory, dhJoey Gallo hit a towering drive over the right field fence for the winning run. It was his 27th home run of the season. Starting the game Sunday, Gallo lead the South Atlantic League with 26 home runs.
The Sand Gnats had 4 hits for the game. Brian Harrison was 2-for-4.
Savannah Pitchers:   IP  Hits  Runs   BB   K      ERA
Luis Cessa.             4 2/3.   3       1.      2.    3.      3.08

Wanel Mesa.            1 1/3.   1.      0.      0     3.      3.79


Tim Peterson.             1        1       0        0     0.     5.79

Hunter Carnevale.      2         2       1        0     2.      3.96
(Lost,0-3)

Savannah Sand Gnats 2 Hickory Crawdads 0

Game three of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads was played in front of  2,991 fans Saturday  at Grayson Stadium. Gnats won 2-0.
Fans saw excellent pitching.
Hickory starter, Frank Lopez, gave up his first hit after pitching 5 1/3 innings  to dfBrandon Nimmo, and was taken out of  the game. He struck out 7 and walked 2.
Seth Lugo was stellar for Savannah,  pitching 7 shutout innings, 0BB, allowed 4 hits and struck out 11. He won his first game. Pitching in two games(13 innings), Lugo has struck out 21 batters.
Savannah scored a run in the 7th inning when 3bJeff Reynolds doubled and scored on a single by 2bJorge Rivero.  Their second run was scored in the 8th inning:rfEudy Piña doubled and scored on a single by dhGreg Pron.
Paul Sewald, pitched the final 2 innings for Savannah, allowed 2 hits and struck out 4. He earned his 5th save.
The final game of the four game series starts Sunday at 2:05 pm at Grayson Stadium.

Tour continues at Whole Foods Market

Today people were able to tour Whole Foods Market for the second straight day to see what to expect when the store opens Tuesday, August 13, 2013. Actually,  staff report that the store opens Tuesday at 8:30 am with a bread-braking ceremony
Yesterday people in the tour saw a movie about Whole Foods and its principles. At the Bakery, shoppers were given a sample and were given chips and dips sample at another station. Several hundred curious shoppers participated in the private store tour throughout the day Friday.
Last evening at the Savannah Sand Gnat game, the Marketing Director at Whole Foods, passed out shopping bags to baseball fans entering the game.

Hickory Crawdads 4 Savannah Sand Gnats 1

Game two of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads was played in front of 1,793 fans Friday evening at Grayson Stadium. Hickory won the game 4-1 to even the series at 1-1.
In the 4th inning, Hickory scored the first run of the game when catcher Jorge Alfaro doubled and scored on a single by rfNomar Mazara. Hickory scored three runs in the 6th inning.
Savannah scored their lone run in the 8th inning. rfEudy Piña was hit by a pitch and went to second when catcher Jeff Glenn walked. A single by 3bBrian Harrison scored Piña.
Savannah starting pitcher, Steven Matz, (Lost, 4-5), pitched 5 innings, allowed 1 run on 6 hits, 0BB, and struck out 9.
Tyler Vanderheiden, allowed 3 runs on 3 hits, 1BB, and 0 K's.
Hunter Carnevale was effective, pitched 3 shutout innings, did not allow a hit and struck out 4.
Game three of the series starts at 6:05 pm Saturday at Grayson Stadium.

Whole Foods Market

Today I took a tour of the new store, Whole Foods Market on Victory Drive.
Work is still being completed. It is a beautiful facility. Shoppers will enjoy the store, as it offers a wide variety of choices. The store opens, Tuesday, August 13, 2013 at 9:00am.

At the Savannah Sand Gnat game Thursday evening, staff  from Whole Foods Market passed out  hand fans and shopping bags to baseball fans entering Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 6 Hickory Crawdads 3

The first game of the four game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Hickory Crawdads was played in front of  2,422 fans Thursday evening at Grayson Stadium. Savannah won the opener 6-3. Sand Gnats had 11 hits for the game and 4 pitchers held Hickory to 5 hits for the game.
Savannah scored 2 runs in the 3rd inning. ssDimas Ponce singled, cfBrandon Nimmo singled, and lfMaikis De La Cruz singled to load the bases. A run scored when 1bCole Frenzel walked. dhEudy Piña singled to drive in a run.
Savannah scored 3 runs in the 5th inning and 1run in the 8th inning.
Hickory scored a run in the 5th inning and 2runs in the 6th inning.
Leading hitter for Savannah was Nimmo who was 3-for-5. Getting 2hits each, De La Cruz,  and Piña
Starting Savannah pitcher, Julian Hilario, (Won, 7-4), pitched 5 innings, allowed 1 run on 3 hits, walked 2 and struck out 4.
Tim Peterson, pitched 2 innings, gave up 1 run on 2 hits, 2 BB, and struck out 3.
Paul Sewald pitched a 1-2-3 8th inning.
Closer, Beck Wheeler, picked up his 15 save, pitched the 9th inning striking out 1 and walking 3 batters.
The second game of the series starts at 7:05 pm Friday at Grayson Stadium.

Charleston RiverDogs 9 Savannah Sand Gnats 7

The final game of the three game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Charleston RiverDogs was played Wednesday evening in front of 1,761 fans at Grayson Stadium. Charleston avoided the sweep and won 9-7. Charleston had 10 hits, Savannah 9 hits.
In the first inning, Charleston scored a run and Savannah scored 2 runs  in the bottom of the first.
Savannah took a 4-1 lead in the second inning, cfBrandon Nimmo doubled to drive in 2 runs. Nimmo went 3-for-5.
Charleston scored 3 runs in the 5th inning and 3 runs in the 6th inning-dhGreg Bird hit a 2 run home run over the right field fence, it was his 17th home run of the season.
Savannah scored 3 runs in the 5th inning, a single by dhNelfi Zapata drove in two runs.
Sand Gnat starting pitcher, Marco Camarena pitched 5 innings allowed 6 runs on 6 hits, 2BB, and struck out 1.
Tyler Vanderheiden(Lost, 4-2),  pitched 1 inning, walked 1, struck out 1, allowed 3 runs on 2 hits,
Wanel  Messa pitched 3 shutout innings,  2K, and walked 1.
Savannah plays the Hickory Crawdads at 7:05 pm Thursday at Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 1 Charleston RiverDogs 0

Game two of the three game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Charleston RiverDogs was played in front of  1,556 fans Tuesday evening at Grayson Stadium. It was another night of outstanding pitching by both teams. Charleston  out hit Savannah 6-4, but Savannah won 1-0.
Leading off the 6th inning for Savannah, catcher Albert Cordero doubled and moved to third on a sac bunt. A single by 2bJorge Rivero scored Cordero, who was 2-for-3 and improved his average to.278.
Charleston starter, Brett Gerritse, pitched 6 innings, allowed 1 run on 4 hits, 6k. and 0BB.
Sand Gnat starter, Gabriel Yona, (won,  13-4), pitched 6 2/3 shutout innings, allowed 3 hits, 5 strikeouts, and did not walk a batter.Tim Peterson pitched 1/3 of an inning and recorded a strike out. Hunter Carnevale pitched 1inning allowed 2 hits and struck out 2. Beck Wheeler faced 4 batters in the 9th, gave up 1hit and struck out 2. Wheeler earned his 14 save of the season.
The final game of the three game series starts at 7:05 pm Wednesday evening at Grayson Stadium.

Savannah Sand Gnats 6 Charleston RiverDogs 0

Game one of the three game series between the Savannah Sand Gnats and the Charleston RiverDogs was played in front of 2,904 fans Monday evening at Grayson Stadium. Savannah scored a run in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead and scored 5 runs in the 8th inning to win the game 6-0.
In the 3rd inning, three singles by ssDiamas Ponce, 2bJorge Rivero, and cfBrandon Nimmo loaded the bases. A ground ball double play scored Ponce
The Sand Gnats rallied in the 8th inning with 6 hits to score 5 runs. Nimmo hit a two run home run over the right field fence, his 2nd of the season. Three runs were scored on RBI singles by rfEudy Pina, lfGreg  Pron, and catcher, Albert Cordero.
Starting Savannah pitcher, Luis Cessa, was masterful, striking out 12 batters in 8 shutout innings, allowed 4hits and did not walk a batter. With the win, Cessa is now 7-3 with an ERA of 3.12. Pitching the 9th inning, Paul Sewald, allowed a single, walked 1, and struck out the side.
Game two of the series starts at 7;05 pm Tuesday evening at Grayson Stadium.