Gnats' Rally Falls Short In Slugfest

Greenville, SC - The Sand Gnats scored early and late, but rally fell short as the Greenville Drive take game three 8-7 on Monday at Flour Field at the West End. Savannah is now 9-1 against Greenville this season.

Greenville (6-6/44-38) took a 7-3 lead into the seventh inning, but needed a run late after the Gnats tied the game in the top of the eighth inning. The Drive scored the game's winning run in the bottom of the eighth on a line drive from RF Joseph Monge.

The Gnats (4-7/43-38) scored first in the game. It was DH Eudor Garcia that started the offense on Monday with a two-run home run in the first inning, his second homer in as many days. Garcia finished the game 2-for-5 with a double and three RBI.

The Drive answered with three runs in the bottom of the first. DH Michael Chavis hit a two-run home run off Gnats starter RHP Casey Delgado. 3B Rafael Devers launched another two-run homer in the third to give the Drive the 5-3 lead. Single runs in the fifth and sixth innings pushed the Drive lead to four runs headed into the seventh.

The Gnats scored two runs in the seventh off Garcia's double and a grounder from John Mora. Savannah tied the game in the eighth with leadoff double from Catcher Tomas Nido followed by an RBI-triple by LF Vicente Lupo. Lupo scored the game's tying run on a wild pitch by Mario Alcantara.

The Sand Gnats and Drive will conclude their four-game series tomorrow at Flour Field. The Gnats will send RHP Eddy Villasmil (0-0, 5.63) to the hill, while Greenville will start RHP Michael Kopech (3-5, 2.89).