5/24/13

Savannah 3 - Augusta 1



Gsellman Squishes GreenJackets, Gnats Take Second

Savannah, GA – Jayce Boyd laced a well-timed double down the right field line and Robert Gsellman made his longest professional start to lead the Savannah Sand Gnats to a 3-1 win over the Augusta GreenJackets in front of 2,742 fans at Historic Grayson Stadium on Thursday night.

The Gnats (26-19) improved to 6-2 against the GreenJackets (26-20) while slipping one half game ahead of Augusta for second place in the South Atlantic League Southern Division.

The Gnats took a 2-1 lead in the fourth inning. 2B Yucarybert De La Cruz doubled, CF Eudy Pina singled and then DH Jayce Boyd lined a double down the right field line on the first pitch of his at bat to score both De La Cruz and Pina. It was the 15th double of the year for Boyd who was 2-for-4 to lift his batting average to .342 this year.

The GreenJackets scored their only run in the top of the first on a sacrifice fly by 1B Joe Rapp.

Rapp’s flyball began a streak in which Gsellman, who won’t turn 20 until July, retired 17 of 18 batters, interrupted only by a two-out walk in the third inning. Gsellman completed seven innings for the first time in his professional career, surpassing his previous high of 6.2 innings set in his final start for Kingsport in the Appalachian League on August 27, 2012.

The Gnats added an insurance run in the ninth inning when SS Philip Evans singled, was sacrificed to second and came home on a throwing error.

The Gnats will send RHP Matt Koch (2-2, 4.30) to the mound Friday against Augusta LHP Matt Lujan (0-0, 2.45). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 pm. Gates to Historic Grayson Stadium open at 6 pm. That radio pregame show on News/Talk 630 WBMQ and online at sandgnats.com begins at 6:45 pm.

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