| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Furman Paladins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 3 | 8 | 2 |
The Diamond Dogs’ midweek date with the Purple Paladins in the Palmetto State was scheduled at an unfortunate time, as it occurred on the same evening that the Fox Hounds were facing the Bayou Bengals in Stegeman Coliseum. David Perno’s club, therefore, was doomed to be given short shrift in terms of coverage, but that’s just as well, since the Classic City Canines lost 3-0 to Furman.
By many measures, it was a close game: each team drew three walks; the Bulldogs struck out once more than the Paladins; each team stranded seven baserunners; Furman carded a dozen groundouts to Georgia’s ten; the Red and Black flied out nine times to their hosts’ eight; neither team had a home run to its credit.
However, the Paladins generated eight hits in 31 at-bats, going three for seven with runners in scoring position, whereas the Diamond Dogs managed only four hits in 28 at-bats and put up a goose egg in six turns at the plate with baserunners situated so as to make it home on a single.
The bullpen performed well, tossing three and two-thirds innings in which they surrendered one hit and no runs. By the time the first of the four Georgia relievers took the mound, however, the damage already had been done, as starter Chase Hawkins was roughed up for seven hits and three earned runs in just over four frames’ worth of work. All the scoring was confined to the bottom of the fifth canto, when five of the first six Furman batters to stand in registered base hits.
Jonathan Hester went two for four to post the Red and Black’s only multi-hit afternoon, while Chase Davidson, Kyle Farmer, Levi Hyams, Curt Powell, Johnathan Taylor, and Peter Verdin went hitless in a combined 17 at-bats.
Simply stated, this does not bode well for the rest of the season. If Georgia doesn’t get it together soon, Greg McGarity will be looking for a new head baseball coach.
Go ‘Dawgs!