Rain Stops Sand Gnats Streak at 18

Savannah, GA - The Savannah Sand Gnats pushed their winning streak to 18 games with a win in game one of the doubleheader against the Kannapolis Intimidators on Sunday, 9-4. Five innings into game two, rain halted play with the score tied at one run apiece to officially end the Gnats' winning streak at 18 games with a tie. The Sand Gnats have won 23 of their last 25 games.                                

Kannapolis (24-31-1/59-65-1) started the scoring in the first inning of game one with a two-out single from RF Louie Lechich. Lechich scored the game's first run on an RBI-double from SS Toby Thomas. Catcher Ryan Plourde led off the third with a walk and scored to give the Intimidators a 2-0 lead on Gnats' starter Josh Prevost (5-4).

Savannah (36-17-1/75-48-1) answered back in the bottom of the third with three runs of their own on five straight hits. With two-outs, catcherNatanael Ramos reached on a single and 2B Jonathan Johnson followed with a double to right. The pair came home on an RBI-single from SSLuis Guillorme. Two more singles from DH Wuilmer Becerra and 3B Eudor Garcia scored Guillorme to give the Gnats the lead.

Back-to-back walks issued to RF John Mora and CF Patrick Biondi from Kannapolis starter Kelvis Valerio (1-2) led off the fourth. Reliever Devon Davis took over and loaded the bases after plunking LF Joe Tuschak. A two-RBI double from Ramos plated Mora and Biondi. Johnson's second hit of the day scored Tuschak. Guillorme laid down a sac-bunt to score Ramos. The Gnats added five runs in the fourth to push the score to 8-2.

The Intimidators scored two more in the fifth after a leadoff walk and a hit batsman from Prevost. Prevost took the win after finishing the fifth inning on Sunday, his fifth consecutive.

Guillorme scored Ramos with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning of game one for his fourth RBI.

Game two starters, Thad Lowery and Martires Arias, traded four shutout innings to start the series finale. The Intimidators scored their only run in the fifth with the help of an error and a fielder's choice. Arias tallied six strikeouts. Savannah answered with the threat of rain looming, when Mora led off the bottom of the fifth with a double and came home on a well-placed ground ball from Tomas Nido.

The rain came after the final out in the fifth making game two an official game and effectively ending the Gnats' streak with a tie game.  

The Sand Gnats will travel to Asheville to take on the Tourists for four games before returning home on Saturday. The Gnats will send RHP Michael Gibbons (2-3, 2.88) to the hill in the series opener, while the Tourists will start LHP Sam Howard (9-9, 3.76). Savannah will return home on Saturday to take on the Augusta Green Jackets for six games in five days as part of the final regular season homestand for the Gnats. Saturday will feature fireworks and Gnate T. Gnat Appreciation Night with gates opening at 5pm and first pitch at 6:05pm.