Gnate and the Gnaturals Perform - Sand Gnats Win

Gnate and the Gnaturals performing in the sixth inning at the Sand Gnats game helped Savannah build a lead and hold onto it Thursday night at Grayson Stadium.  The Sand Gnats beat Charleston 5-4 to start the second half of the season with a win.

CLICK ON THE VIDEO LINK TO SEE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GAME AND THE “BUG-GED” PERFORMANCE.

After closing out the first half winning nine of 12, the Sand Gnats (1-0, 36-35) kept things going in the first game of the second half with a, 5-4, win over the RiverDogs in front of 2,015 at Historic Grayson Stadium.  Chris Schwinden (4-3) earned the win while Josh Stinson worked a perfect final two innings for his second save of the season. 

A sacrifice fly by Jefry Marte in the fourth inning proved to be the winning run for the Georgia boys, who have now won for of their last five versus Charleston.  Marte finished the game 2-for-3 with a run scored. 

Savannah used a four-run first inning to counter a two-run home run by Melky Mesa in the top of the first to take a lead they’d never relinquish.  The Gnats sent nine men to the plate in the first getting a two-run double from Sean Ratliff to tie the game. The Gnats took the lead on Kai Gronauer’s RBI-single and Raul Reyes hit a sacrifice fly to left to give the Gnats a, 4-2, lead.

Charleston used four straight singles in the second including an RBI-single by Jose Pirela to cut the lead in half. 

Mesa kept the ‘Dogs afloat with his second home run of the game in the top of the seventh off reliever Manny Olivares.  It is his third multi-homer game of the season and it left a slim one-run margin for Stinson to protect for the final two frames. 

Four Gnats had two hits apiece as Rafael Fernandez laced a pair of doubles while Sean Ratliff had a double and a single. Raul Reyes added a pair of singles with a run scored and an RBI.

Robert Carson (4-5, 2.63) gets the start for Savannah in game two of the five-game series facing Charleston’s Casey Erickson (3-2, 1.86). For tickets to Friday’s fireworks night and more information on this season-long nine game homestand, log on to sandgnats.com or call 912.351.9150.