HICKORY, N.C. — Kevin Plawecki hit a grand slam and Savannah starter Rainy Lara did not allow an earned run for seven innings in the Sand Gnats’ 9-2 win over the Hickory Crawdads on Saturday night.
Plawecki (3 for 5) came within a triple of hitting for the cycle. His home run in the four-run ninth inning was his fifth of this Class A South Atlantic League season. He now is hitting .416.
Lara (4-1) allowed four hits, one unearned run and one walk with six strikeouts. Hunter Carnevale finished up the last two innings and allowed Jorge Alfaro’s solo shot in the ninth.
The game was tied at 1 when John Kukuruda replaced Hickory starter Connor Sadzech, and that’s when it started to come apart for the Crawdads.
Savannah’s Stefan Sabol led off with a walk and took second base on a wild pitch. Phillip Evans singled and Kukuruda intentionally walked Eudy Pina to load the bases before he exited without retiring a batter.
Alexander Claudio replaced Kukuruda and gave up Chad Zurcher’s two-run single. Zurcher ran to second and Pina got to third on left fielder Jordan Akins’ fielding error.
Both Gnats runners scored when Jayce Boyd reached base on shortstop Luis Marte’s throwing error.
Marte had thrown out Boyd at home in the first inning. With two outs, Boyd singled and tried to score on Plawecki’s double lined to right fielder Nomar Mazara. His throw went to Marte, who threw home to catcher Jorge Alfaro for the out.
Hickory led 1-0 on an unearned run in the fifth after Lara had struck out two batters. Joe Maloney reached on center fielder Pina’s two-base fielding error. Marte singled to left to score Maloney, and took second on the throw and later stole third. Lara then struck out Lewis Brinson.
Savannah tied the game in the top of the next stanza on Pina’s double, Zurcher’s sacrifice bunt and Sadzeck’s wild pitch.
SAVANNAH ab r h bi HICKORY ab r h bi
Pina cf 4 2 1 0 Brinson cf 4 0 0 0
Zurcher 2b 4 1 1 2 Mendez dh 4 0 1 0
Boyd 1b 4 1 1 0 Gallo 3b 3 0 0 0
Plawecki c 5 1 3 4 Rua 2b 4 0 1 0
Frenzel 3b 5 0 1 0 Alfaro c 4 1 1 1
Pron rf 4 0 1 0 Mazara rf 4 0 1 0
Glenn dh 4 0 0 0 Akins lf 4 0 0 0
Sabol lf 1 2 0 0 Maloney 1b 3 1 0 0
Evans ss 3 2 1 0 Marte ss 3 0 2 0
Totals 34 9 9 6 Totals 33 2 6 1
Savannah 000 001 044 — 9
Hickory 000 010 001 — 2
E—Pina, Boyd, Akins, Marte. DP—Savannah 2, Hickory 1. LOB—Savannah 5, Hickory ?. 2B—Plawecki, Pina. HR—Plawecki (5), Alfaro (5). SAC—Zurcher. SB—Marte. CS—.
SAVANNAH IP H R ER BB SO
Lara W,4-1 7 4 1 0 1 6
Carnevale 2 2 1 1 0 3
HICKORY IP H R ER BB SO
Sadzeck 7 4 1 1 1 4
Kukuruda L,2-1 0 1 3 3 2 0
Claudio 1 3 1 0 0 0
Slack 1 1 4 4 3 1
WP—Sadzeck, Kukuruda. IBB—Pina (by Kukuruda). T—2:39. A—2,142.