Ynoa Strong Yet Again In 5-3 Savannah Victory

Savannah 5, Kannapolis 3

After a lengthy rain delay, the Savannah Sand Gnats made quick work of the Kannapolis Intimidators in a 5-3 victory at Historic Grayson Stadium on Thursday night. The two teams were delayed 1:32 by rain at the start of the game, and once play started, the Gnats needed just 2:04 to earn their eighth win in nine games on their current home stand.

With losses by both the Augusta GreenJackets and the Asheville Tourists, the Gnats are alone in first place for the first time all season.

The Gnats took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth. 1B Jayce Boyd led off with a sharp one-hopper to short that Jean Almanzar booted. C Kevin Plawecki drove home Boyd with a bouncing double down the left field line, his league-leading 16^th double of the year.

Trailing 3-0, Savannah evened the game with a three-run bottom of the fourth inning. CF Eudy Pina and 2B Yucary De La Cruz singled to begin the frame. Boyd plated both with a double up the right-center field gap, his 10^th of the year. Boyd scored the tying run on a wild pitch by Kannapolis starter Myles Jaye. Jaye was charged with the loss to fall to 3-1.

The Intimidators built a 3-0 lead through three innings against Savannah starter Gabriel Ynoa, who hung in though seven innings for his third win of 2013. The Intimidators used a pair of solo homeruns – by 1B Brent Tanner leading off the second inning and by LF Kale Kiser with one out in the third – to hurt Ynoa. However, the 19-year old hurler steadied himself and faced the minimum 12 batters over his final four innings. He struck out eight and did not walk a batter.

The Gnats look for a sweep, their second of the home stand Friday, at 7:05 pm when LHP Steven Matz (1-0, 1.96) takes on RHP Euclides Leyer (1-3, 4.18).