Savannah 2, Augusta 1
Augusta 7, Savannah 6
After two days of rainouts, the Savannah Sand Gnats and host August GreenJackets played two one-run games Sunday that were nothing alike.
Savannah won the opening seven-inning contest 2-1, then nearly rallied from a 7-0 deficit before losing 7-6 and splitting the Class A South Atlantic League doubleheader at Lake Olmstead Stadium.
In the opener, the Sand Gnats scored twice in the first inning on Eudy Pina’s leadoff double, Brandon Nimmo’s RBI single, a balk, two walks to load the bases and Nelfi Zapata’s sacrifice fly with one out.
The GreenJackets could notch just one run in the fourth on three consecutive one-out singles by Mitchell Delfino, Joseph Rapp and Charles Jones to end Gnats starter Tim Peterson’s day, and Eliezer Zambrano’s sacrifice fly off reliever Estarlin Morel.
That was it for offense. Peterson got no decision after 3 1/3 innings, with Morel (1-0, 0.00 ERA) earning his first victory. Closer Beck Wheeler (1.79 ERA) collected his 16th save with a scoreless seventh inning.
Augusta starter Justin Schumer (4-8, 4.66 ERA) took the loss.
The second seven-inning game was, by comparison, a showcase for offense.
Augusta (71-52) scored twice in the first inning and five times in the fifth for apparently a commanding lead. Gnats starter Steven Matz (4-6, 2.64 ERA) yielded one hit, five runs (three earned) and four walks with eight strikeouts in four innings.
Savannah (69-51), however, threatened that assumption. The Gnats pushed across five runs in the top of the sixth. Dimas Ponce led off with a single and Pina walked. Augusta reliever Danny Sandbrink replaced starter Matthew Lujan (6-0, 2.82 ERA) and did worse. Nimmo hit an RBI-single and Maikis De La Cruz followed with a two-run double.
De La Cruz advanced to third on Cole Frenzel’s groundout and scored on Stefan Sabol’s single. Zapata then singled, leading to Jorge Bucardo replacing Sandbrink.
Sabol scored when Jeff Reynolds reached safely on a force attempt and fielding error, and Albert Cordero reached safely by the same means to load the bases. However, Ponce grounded into a double play to end the threat.
Savannah closed to 7-6 in the seventh on Pina’s walk and Nimmo’s RBI-double. Nimmo reached third on a groundout but was stranded as Bucardo (fifth save) struck out Frenzel and Sabol to end the game.
(Team Report)