LAKEWOOD, N.J. — The host BlueClaws snapped Savannah’s four-game winning streak by handing the Sand Gnats their first shutout loss of the season, 3-0 on Saturday at FirstEnergy Park.
Lakewood (6-16), which had lost three times in two days to Savannah (14-7), rode the stellar pitching of starter Mark Leiter (3-1, 1.97 ERA) and reliever Cody Forsythe (third save), who limited the Sand Gnats to four hits. Leiter yielded four hits in eight innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
Gnats starter John Gant (2-1, 3.00 ERA), a Savannah native, also was strong but had zero run support. Gant went six innings, allowing three hits and one earned run with three walks and 10 strikeouts. The lone run came on a walk, a single and a sacrifice fly in the second inning.
Lakewood added two runs in the seventh when reliever Tim Peterson entered the game for Gant. Samuel Hiciano led off with his first home run of the season. One out later, Jan Hernandez doubled and later scored on second baseman Jorge Rivero’s fielding error.
After Peterson walked J.P. Crawford and struck out Carlos Tocci, John Mincone replaced Peterson and finished up the game.
Savannah ab r h bi Lakewood ab r h bi
Biondi cf 4 0 1 0 Crawford ss 2 0 0 0
McNeil 3b 3 0 0 0 Tocci cf 4 0 2 0
Mazzilli ss 4 0 0 0 Cozens dh 4 0 0 0
King rf 4 0 0 0 Oberto 1b 4 0 0 0
Sabol lf 3 0 0 0 Pullin 2b 3 1 0 0
Rivero 2b 3 0 1 0 Hiciano lf 4 1 3 1
Smith dh 3 0 1 0 Tromp rf 3 0 0 1
Oberste 1b 3 0 1 0 Hrnandz 3b 3 1 1 0
Plaia c 3 0 0 0 Mayorga c 2 0 0 0
Totals 30 0 5 0 Totals 29 3 6 1
Savannah 000 000 000 —0
Lakewood 010 000 20x —3
E—Rivero. LOB—Savannah 5, Lakewood 7. DP—Lakewood 1. 2B—Smith, Biondi, Hernandez. HR—Hiciano. SF—Tromp. CS—Hiciano.
SAVANNAH IP H R ER BB SO
Gant L,2-1 6 3 1 1 3 10
Peterson 2/3 2 2 1 1 1
Mincone 1 1/3 1 0 0 0 3
LAKEWOOD IP H R ER BB SO
Leiter W,3-1 8 4 0 0 2 5
Forsythe S,3 1 0 0 0 0 0
WP—Gant, Mincone. T—2:23. A—4,557.