Gnats Clinch First Half Title For Fifth Time in Six Years
Augusta, GA - The Savannah Sand Gnats won their fifth First Half Southern Division Championship in six years with a 8-5 victory over the Augusta GreenJackets at Lake Olmstead Stadium on Sunday.
With the Lakewood BlueClaws defeating the Greenville Drive 9-3 earlier on Sunday, the Gnats clinched the title due to the head-to-head tiebreaker against Greenville. The Gnats have a guaranteed playoff spot and will host Game 2, and if necessary, Game 3 against the Second Half Southern Division Champion at Historic Grayson Stadium in September.
The Gnats (39-31) were full of adrenaline and plated two runs in the game's opening frame, after hearing the news of Greenville's loss. Back-to-back walks issued to 2B Jonathan Johnson and SS Luis Guillorme came back to bite Augusta starter Samuel Coonrod. Johnson scored on a sacrifice fly by 3B Eudor Garcia and Guillorme came home on an RBI-single by RF Wuilmer Becerra.
LF Joe Tuschak led off the second inning with a single to center. Tuschak scored after Coonrod walked 1B Adrian Abreu, Johnson, and Guillorme.
Trailing 3-0, the GreenJackets (33-36) scored their first run in the fifth after RF Dylan Davis singled and scored on a ground ball from catcher Jared Deacon.
Reliever Ben Griset came into to work the eighth and struck out the first batter he faced. Griset walked SS Jeremy Sy, Sy came around to score on a single from 3B Jonah Arenado.
Cameron Griffin and Dawrin Frias both tossed a scoreless frame on Sunday, Griffin's first appearance since April 29th.
The Gnats added five insurance runs in the ninth. A triple from catcher Tyler Moore and doubles from Becerra and DH JC Rodriguez did the damage for the Gnats.
The 'Jackets scored two on an RBI-triple from Sy in the ninth. Sy scored on a single from DH Aramis Garcia to give the game its 8-5 final.
Savannah will return home after the All-Star Break on Thursday, June 25th to start a nine-game home stand against the Lexington Legends. The series opener will be another Budweiser Thirsty Thursday with half-priced regular sodas and draft beers all night long brought to you by Budweiser, E-93, Connect Savannah, and I-95. Gates will open at 6 PM and first pitch is set for 7:05 PM.