Durand Tosses Gem to Lead Greensboro Past Sand Gnats
GREENSBORO – Greensboro busted out of its slump early Wednesday night with a three-run first inning and added four more in the second in part to Bryan Petersen’s 19th home run of the season en route to a series-opening victory, 8-1, over Savannah.
Petersen ended the night going 2-for-4 from the plate and drove in half of the Hoppers’ runs. Following a first-inning single, Petersen came to the plate with runners on second and third before pounding another ball over the right field netting and onto the streets of downtown Greensboro.
The night got off to a rough start for Savannah as Ozzie Martinez reached on a fielding error by Greg Veloz in the Hoppers’ first at-bat of the game; he later scored on a Petersen single. Petersen also scored as Matt Dominguez doubled in the inning for his only hit of the contest; he scored on one of Mailek Cleto’s three wild pitches.
After Petersen’s blast, one of only two Greensboro hits in the second inning, starter Brett Durand surrendered the lone Savannah run of the night as Juan Lagares hit his second home run of the season in the fourth inning.
Durand left the game after six innings of work in which he allowed just three hits and struck out the same. He picked up the win on just 67 pitches and left with a 7-1 lead.
Ryan Curry added Greensboro’s final run of the game in the eighth inning with a two-out, solo home run to left field; it was his eighth homer of the season.
Greensboro and Savannah will take to the field again Thursday in the second game of a four-game series at NewBridge Bank Park. Recent roster addition Bryan Evans (0-0, 0.00) will take to the mound against the Sand Gnats’ Josh Stinson (2-5, 3.03). First pitch for the Thirsty Thursday contest is slated for 7:00 p.m.
Postgame Quick Stats
Win – Brett Durand (8-5); Loss – Maikel Cleto (3-8); Save – None
Time – 2:08; Attendance – 5,479
Note: There was an 18-minute delay in the top of the seventh inning as a Steven Cishek pitch hit Richard Pena in the head. Pena left the field in an ambulance and was taken to a local hospital. No further information on his condition was released at the time of this release. He did however walk into the ambulance without assistance.
*****from Justin Stottlemyre Hoppers’ media assistant*****