| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Illinois Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 10 | 0 |
Alex Wood pitched a gem for the Diamond Dogs on Friday night, delivering eight innings of two-hit shutout ball during which he fanned 14 and walked none. Though Bryan Benzor gave up a pair of hits and an earned run in a stanza of relief, he struck out two without conceding a base on balls.
Shortstop Kyle Farmer homered in the bottom of the third canto to get the Classic City Canines on the board, and the Red and Black tacked on a second run in the home half of the fourth frame with a walk drawn by designated hitter Brett DeLoach, a baserunner-advancing groundout by catcher Brandon Stephens, and a run-scoring single by center fielder Conor Welton.
In the ensuing inning, a trio of singles by third baseman Curt Powell, Farmer, and first baseman Colby May produced a pair of runs for the Athenians. In the meantime, only one Leatherneck had made it as far as first base. By the time Benzor took the mound in the top of the ninth canto, only one more WIU batter had made it out of the box, but the Georgia closer surrendered a one-out home run and a two-out single before persuading the final visiting batter to chase strike three and end the game.
Aside from left fielder Hunter Cole (0 for 4) and Stephens (0 for 3), every Diamond Dog who strode to the plate collected at least one hit, led by Farmer (3 for 4, 1 RBI) and May (2 for 3, 2 RBI), but the star of the game was Wood, who kept the Leathernecks off the scoreboard, and largely off the basepaths.
Go ‘Dawgs!