GREENVILLE — Tim Roberson doubled four times and drove in seven runs as the Greenville Drive handed the Savannah Sand Gnats their worst loss of the season 21-1 on Friday night before 6,146 at Fluor Field at the West End.
Savannah (1-1 second half, 45-23 overall) entered the game with the Class A South Atlantic League’s best ERA (2.64). Only two teams had scored in double figures in wins over Savannah: Charleston by 10-3 on May 18, and Asheville by 12-6 on June 4. Greenville nearly equaled that 22-run total by itself.
The Drive (1-1, 35-36) collected 20 hits in their eight innings. The Sand Gnats had more errors — four, all by third baseman Jon Leroux — than hits, three, in nine innings.
The Gnats’ first hit against Drive starter Teddy Stankiewicz (6-4, 3.39 ERA) was Colton Plaia’s double to lead off the sixth inning.
With two outs, Plaia scored when Champ Stuart reached on a throwing error by shortstop Tzu-Wei Lin. Yeixon Ruiz followed with a single to advance Stuart to third base, but Victor Cruzado was called out on strikes to end the Gnats’ lone threat.
Gnats starter John Michael Gant (7-3, 2.13 ERA), a Savannah native who pitched in Tuesday’s SAL All-Star Game, had no run or defensive support in yielding 11 runs but only one earned along with eight hits, three walks and one balk in four innings.
Relievers Tyler Vanderheiden (five runs in 1 2/3 innings) and John Mincone (five in 2 1/3 innings) fared no better. The three Savannah pitchers walked seven to just one strikeout in eight innings.
The Drive went down in order in the first two innings, then scored at least two runs in each inning the rest of the way. All 11 Greenville batters had at least one hit, 10 scored at least one run, and eight drove in at least one run. First baseman Roberson was 4 for 6 with three runs scored and seven RBIs.
Savannah ab r h bi Greenville ab h r bi
Stuart cf 2 0 0 0 Allday rf 4 3 1 1
Ruiz ss 3 0 1 0 Lin ss 6 3 2 0
Cruzado rf 4 0 0 0 Roberson 1b 6 3 4 7
Smith 1b 3 0 0 0 Asuaje 3b 3 1 2 3
Leroux 3b 4 0 1 0
Peralta ph-3b 2 1 1 0
Rivero 2b 4 0 0 0 Rijo 2b 6 1 3 2
Plaia c 3 1 1 0 Margot cf 4 2 1 0
Sabol lf 3 0 0 0 Mager lf 5 4 1 1
Zapata dh 3 0 0 0 Romanski c 3 1 2 1
Coste c 2 0 1 1
Kapstein dh 4 2 2 2
Totals 29 1 3 0 Totals 45 21 20 18
Savannah 000 001 000 -- 1 3 4
Greenville 004 363 32x -- 21 20 1
E—Leroux 4, Lin. DP—Savannah 2, Greenville 1. LOB—Savannah 5, Greenville 8. 2B—Plaia, Leroux, Roberson 4, Mager. 3B—Rijo. SAC—Romanski.
SAVANNAH IP H R ER BB SO
Gant L,7-3 4 8 11 1 3 1
Vanderheiden 1 2/3 4 5 5 3 0
Mincone 2 1/3 8 5 5 1 0
GREENVILLE IP H R ER BB SO
Stankiewicz W,6-4 6 2 1 0 2 3
Dahlstrand S,3 3 1 0 0 2 0
WP—Vanderheiden, Mincone. Balk—Gant. T—3:00. A—6,1,46.