Savannah Comes From Behind to Take Game Two of Four-Game Set, 9-6
GREENSBORO – First impressions didn’t last long Thursday night at NewBridge Bank Park.
Greensboro led off the first and second inning with first-pitch home runs by Ozzie Martinez and Danny Garcia and starter Bryan Evans faced the minimum through 3 2/3 innings before allowing Savannah to get back in the game and eventually take game two of the four-game series, 9-6.
After Evans sat down the side in order to start the game, Martinez struck the first pitch the Hoppers saw in the game to put Greensboro on top, 1-0. Petersen did the same in the second and after reclaiming the lead with a run in the fourth, Greensboro surrendered six runs, two in the sixth and four in the seventh, to lose the lead and eventually the game.
Savannah also had a reoccurrence during the contest. In back-to-back at-bats for the two Sand Gnats, Casey Craig got a two-out single which was followed by a Jimenez home run in both the fourth and the sixth innings.
Greensboro tried to pull back with three runs in the seventh inning, but it was too little to late and Savannah added an extra run in the eighth for the 9-6 final.
Three Hoppers had two hits in the contest and Evans was tagged with the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in six innings on the mound.
Postgame Quick Stats
Win – Josh Stinson (3-5); Loss – Bryan Evans (0-1); Save – Nick Abel (4)
Time – 2:46; Attendance – 7,729
Update: Savannah’s Richard Pena received 27 stitches inside his mouth after being hit in the head during Wednesday’s contest. After a trip to the hospital, trainers and doctors said that nothing was broken or fractured during the accident. Richard Pena did not play in Thursday’s game.
*****from Justin Stottlemyre Hoppers’ media assistant*****