Bats Blast Sand Gnats in 12-6 Tourists Win

Savannah, GA-- You wouldn't know that Historic Grayson Stadium was a pitchers ballpark by looking at the box score of Wednesday night's Asheville Tourists vs. Savannah Sand Gnats game. The Tourists matched a season-high in hits with 17 and routed the Sand Gnats 12-6 to win the series finale and finish their road trip 6-1.

The Tourists jumped on the board in the top of the first on Jordan Patterson's two-out RBI single to left. In the third, the floodgates opened as Asheville pounded out seven runs on seven hits and sent 11 batters to the plate. The inning began with three consecutive singles followed by a sacrifice fly. After a groundout, the next five Tourists hitters reached base on three singles, a double, and a walk. When the damage was done, Asheville led 8-0 after just two and a half frames.

The two teams exchanged runs in their next turns at the plate before Savannah pated a pair in the fifth. Asheville grabbed both of those runs back in the top of the seventh with four straight base knocks to start the inning. The Sand Gnats managed three runs in the bottom of the seventh, two on Colton Plaia's Home Run to left, but Andrew Brown closed the door without allowing any further damage the rest of the way.

David Dahl led off the top of the eighth with a triple and scored the game's final run on a sacrifice fly from Raimel Tapia. Patterson and Dahl both finished 3-for-4 while Zach Osborne, Wilfredo Rodriguez, Ashley Graeter, and Alec Mehrten all had two hits apiece. Every Tourist in the lineup had at least one hit and one run scored.

Johendi Jiminian tossed six frames for the Tourists and notched his seventh win of the season. Jiminian recorded a season-high eight strikeouts and in every inning he was on the mound his team had the lead. Savannah's starter, Ricky Knapp, lasted only 2.2 innings and was tagged for eight runs on 11 hits.

After taking two of three from the Sand Gnats, the Tourists now return home to face the Kannapolis Intimidators for the first time this season. Thursday night's first pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm.