Savannah 12, Augusta 10

Playing in only his third game this season, Savannah catcher Nelfi Zapata homered and drove in five runs to lead the Sand Gnats to a 12-10 win Sunday over the host Augusta GreenJackets.

Zapata went 2 for 3 to raise his batting average to .400 in five official at-bats. (He also has four walks). Savannah (24-17) totaled 14 hits, to 17 for Augusta (24-18) in the offensive showcase. Center fielder Eudy Pina added a three-run double in the seventh.

Charles Jones, Andrew Cain and Mitchell Delfino homered for the GreenJackets.

The Sand Gnats briefly led 1-0 in the third after Stefan Sabol and Zapata walked with two outs, and Jeff Reynolds followed with an RBI single.

Augusta then scored three times in the second and third innings. Savannah closed the deficit to 6-4 in the fourth. With one down, Cole Frenzel singled and Sabol walked to bring up Zapata, who smacked a three-run homer to left off Augusta starter Martin Agosta.

The game was tied at 6 in the fifth as Zapata delivered again. Maikis De La Cruz and Jayce Boyd opened with singles. Two outs later, Zapata hit a two-run single to center.

The Gnats did not regain the lead until a five-run seventh inning. Frenzel led off with a single off Mason McVay, who was replaced by Brandon Farley. Sabol doubled and Farley intentionally walked Zapata to load the bases. Reynolds’ RBI single reloaded the bases.

One out later, Yucary De La Cruz walked to push home Sabol and reload the bases. Pina followed with a three-run double for 11-6.

Savannah yielded Delfino’s homer in the seventh before tacking on an unearned run in the top of the eighth on Frenzel’s walk, Sabol’s single, a double-play groundout, another walk and a fielding error for 12-7.

The Sand Gnats return to Savannah for a seven-game homestand at Grayson Stadium, beginning at 7:05 p.m. today against the Charleston (S.C.) RiverDogs on Dollar Monday.

Key Stats

Eudy Pina: 1-for-6, 1 2B, 3 RBl

Nelfi Zapata: 2-for-3, 1 HR, 2 BB, 5 RBI, 2 R

Jeff Reynolds: 4-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 2 RBI, 1 R

Stefan Sabol: 2-for-3, 1 2B, 2 BB, 3 R

Luis Cessa: 5.0 IP, 11 H, 2 HR,  1 BB, 6 ER, 3 K

Tyler Vanderheiden: 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 HR, 1 BB, 1 ER, 2 K

Hunter Carnevale: 1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER

Beck Wheeler: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 0 ER

(Team Report)