| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alcorn St. Braves | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 3 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | X | 8 | 8 | 0 |
The Diamond Dogs looked to rebound from a disastrous weekend with a two-game midweek set against the visiting Braves. No, not those Braves; Alcorn State, not Atlanta. That distinction helps to explain why Georgia notched an 8-5 victory in an outing that was tied at one run per side after five and a half innings.
Starter David Sosebee surrendered a pair of one-out singles in the top of the first frame before retiring the side on a double-play grounder, while the Red and Black used a base hit and an Alcorn State error to put second baseman Levi Hyams in scoring position in the home half of the inning, only to have consecutive flyouts strand him there. The second stanza saw the Braves’ only baserunner caught stealing and the Bulldogs’ leadoff walk squandered when a flyout and a groundout left left fielder Justin Bryan on second base.
Following a third canto in which each contestant had a single negated by a double play, Alcorn State took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth frame on consecutive one-out doubles. Georgia failed adequately to answer in the bottom of the inning, as catcher Joey Delmonico went down swinging after right fielder Kevin Ruiz dropped a two-out single into center field and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.
A leadoff single by the Braves went to waste in the fifth stanza due to another double play, leaving the door open for the Diamond Dogs in the home half of the inning. Third baseman Curt Powell began the canto with a base hit, took second on an Alcorn State error, and moved over to third on a passed ball, permitting center fielder Conor Welton to tie the game with a groundout. The visitors went three up and three down in the sixth frame, setting the stage for the Bulldogs to break the game open with a big inning.
Designated hitter Jared Walsh led off with a walk, then Ruiz followed suit. Bryan brought both baserunners home with a double, and, after the Georgia left fielder advanced to third on a wild pitch, Delmonico drove him in with another double. Following a Powell groundout, an additional wild pitch put the Red and Black catcher on third. Bases on balls issued to Welton and Hyams loaded the bases for shortstop Kyle Farmer, who walked in another run, as did first baseman Colby May. One more wild pitch brought home one more run, and Walsh closed out a two-hit, seven-run inning with an RBI sacrifice fly.
The seventh stanza produced Georgia baserunners, but no additional scoring, and the eighth frame featured a pair of singles with a balk sandwiched in between, which brought home a second Alcorn State run. The Braves loaded the bases on a one-out walk and a hit batsman, then a base on balls forced home another run. A two-out single scored two more before the visitors’ turn at the plate ended with a strikeout.
That concluded the scoring in an outing in which the Classic City Canines used six pitchers and 13 hitters. Among Georgia batters, only Hyams carded more than one hit and only Bryan batted in more than one run. The Bulldogs had two fewer hits, but also three fewer errors, in a contest noteworthy solely for the fact that the Red and Black did not lose.
Go ‘Dawgs!