Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | R | H | E |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Georgia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
Vanderbilt | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 2 | 4 | 2 |
After a rain delay postponed the start of Saturday’s second series outing between the Diamond Dogs and their Commodore hosts, the game finally got underway around 9:30 in the evening. An Anthony Gomez error enabled Johnathan Taylor to reach base in the initial plate appearance in the top of the first frame, but the next three Athenians to step into the batter’s box each notched an out.
Georgia’s regular Friday starter, Justin Grimm, found himself on the mound in the bottom of the opening inning on a Saturday instead, and the junior right-hander surrendered a leadoff single to Brian Harris and allowed the runner to advance on the Bulldog hurler’s thirteenth wild pitch of the season, which tied Grimm with reliever Cecil Tanner for the team lead. Gomez atoned for his earlier miscue by bringing the Vanderbilt shortstop home on an RBI groundout. Two more outs followed in short order.
Robert Shipman smacked a one-out single into center field in the visitors’ turn at the plate in the second stanza, and Chase Davidson brought him the rest of the way around with a double to tie the game heading into the lower half of the canto. The deadlock did not last long.
Andrew Giobbi drove a one-out double into left field and took third on yet another wild pitch. From there, the Commodore catcher scored on a Connor Harrell single. Joe Loftus followed that up with another base hit, but Bryan Johns grounded into the double play that ended the inning with the Music City Sailors doubling up the Classic City Canines in runs (2-1) and in hits (4-2).
Zach Taylor parked a one-out double in left field and moved over to third on a Levi Hyams groundout before Zach Cone grounded out to strand the Georgia left fielder 90 feet from home plate in the top of the third frame. Grimm retired the side on a trio of groundouts in the bottom of the inning before an Aaron Westlake error allowed Kyle Farmer to reach base to start the upper half of the fourth canto.
Shipman drew a base on balls, and, although Brett DeLoach grounded into a double play, the Red and Black shortstop made it as far as third. Davidson walked to put runners at the corners, then three straight singles scored a trio of runs. The Diamond Dogs’ turn at the plate ended with Georgia up by two in both runs (4-2) and hits (6-4), while Vanderbilt was up (or, perhaps, down) by a couple in errors (2-0). The rain delay then resumed anew.
Will the Classic City Canines be able to overcome their lack of errors and hold onto the lead when play resumes? Will the Music City Sailors take advantage of the momentum-slaying rain delay and come surging back to claim victory over the visitors? Does the return of the inclement weather just as Georgia took the lead represent the intervention of malevolent Fate bent on doing whatever it takes to deny the Diamond Dogs a single solitary stinkin’ win in a baseball game?
The answers to these and other questions will be coming your way when play resumes, so be sure to tune in next time. Same bat-time, same bat-channel.
To be continued. . . .
Go ‘Dawgs!