Suns Scorch Gnats 4-3 Wednesday
Hagerstown, MD - The Savannah Sand Gnats cannot with stand Suns on Wednesday night at Municipal Stadium. Hagerstown used two homers to beat the Gnats 4-3.
Hagerstown (13-13/48-46) struck first with two runs in the game's opening frame. Back-to-back two-out singles from 1B Jose Marmolejos-Diaz and Catcher Raudy Read would set the table for CF D. K. Carey who doubled to left to score both baserunners.
Savannah (10-15/49-46) wasted no time cutting into the two run lead. DH Eudor Garcia led off the second with a triple and came around to score on an RBI-double from LF John Mora. Garcia and Mora notched the Gnats only extra-base hits for the Gnats on the night in the second inning.
Centerfielder Patrick Biondi led off the third with a single, stolen base, and tied the game, 2-2, on an RBI-single by SS Luis Guillorme. Guillorme stole second and reached third on a balk, but was stranded there to end the inning.
The Suns broke the tie with their first home run off Gnats' starter Michael Gibbons (0-3). Marmolejos-Diaz hit a solo-shot to center, his seventh on the year. Gibbons tossed 5.1 in his third start allowing ten hits and four runs (three earned) including a second solo-shot by LF Jeff Gardner in the fourth.
The Gnats strung three singles together to score their third and final run in the fifth, Guillorme's single scored Biondi for the second time on the night.
Sand Gnats relievers Tim Peterson and Ben Griset totaled 2.2 scoreless innings of relief. Griset's one inning of work was perfect with one strikeout.
The Gnats and Suns will continue their three-game set tomorrow at 7:05 PM. Savannah will send two time SAL POTW, RHP Scarlyn Reyes (9-4) to the hill, while Hagerstown with start LHP Connor Bach (3-1). The Gnats will return home on July 30th for Budweiser Thirsty Thursday at 7:05 PM versus the Asheville Tourists.