The Red and Black's 12-0 start at Foley Field this season was brought to an abrupt end by Crimson Tide pitcher Wade LeBlanc, who held the Diamond Dogs to four hits in nine innings of work in a 4-1 Alabama victory earlier tonight.
LeBlanc has a 4-0 record and a 1.60 E.R.A., yet he lacks the star power to carry a sitcom on his own.
The loss snaps Georgia's six-game winning streak, dropping the Diamond Dogs to 13-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Red and Black played poorly defensively, committing a trio of errors, yet none of those fielding lapses led to runs; rather, the loss was attributable chiefly to the silence of the Bulldogs' bats when facing first-rate pitching.
Although the setback is somewhat demoralizing for Georgia fans, Bulldog coach David Perno remains upbeat. "We are not going to get caught up in the loss," claims Coach Perno, who reminds the Red and Black faithful that the Diamond Dogs "play 56 games and we just have to play, collectively, better baseball."
That's the spirit. The second game of the series with the Crimson Tide is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.
Go 'Dawgs!