| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Bulldogs | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 1 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 6 | 8 | 1 |
Today was a busy day in the King household. I slept in, got up, mowed the back yard, and took a shower, then my wife, my kids, and I met my in-laws for lunch at the local Chick-fil-A, then I took my son to see "The Avengers," so I was out of pocket during today’s baseball rubber match. This was a good thing, because the Diamond Dogs against embarrassed themselves by losing to the worst team in the league.
Georgia built up an early 3-0 lead, beginning in the first inning when a pair of two-out walks put a runner in scoring position, who came home on a base hit by second baseman Levi Hyams. The Red and Black tacked on two more in the third stanza, in which third baseman Curt Powell and shortstop Kyle Farmer registered back-to-back singles, permitting right fielder Hunter Cole to plate one while being thrown out at first and catcher Brett DeLoach to drive in another with a base hit. It was all downhill from there.
Alabama answered in the bottom of the fourth frame, as the leadoff hitter was plunked, swiped second, and came home on a single. The Crimson Tide tied it up in the ensuing canto on consecutive base hits followed by a one-out double. The Athenians reclaimed the lead in the top of the seventh inning after singles by Cole and Hyams, and a subsequent double-steal, set the stage for pinch hitter Nelson Ward to drive in one on a fielder’s choice.
The home team offered a retort in the eighth stanza, using two singles and a walk to load the bases with two outs before a wild pitch snarled the score and a two-run single gave the Alabamians the lead. Georgia had one last chance, starting the ninth frame with two straight singles by DeLoach and Hyams. Center fielder Peter Verdin sacrificed them over into scoring position, then Ward lined out and first baseman Colby May drew a base on balls to put three aboard for left fielder Conor Welton, who flied out to end the game.
The Diamond Dogs recorded more hits (11-8) and drew more walks (6-5), but Georgia stranded 14 baserunners to the Crimson Tide’ six, and the Red and Black bullpen gave up five earned runs in the final four frames. This afternoon’s result dropped the Classic City Canines to 14-15 in SEC play and permitted Alabama to improve to 9-21 in conference contests, leaving the Bulldogs as the No. 8 seed in the SEC Tournament. When the Athenians meet a swift end in Hoover---and don’t kid yourselves; they will---it will be time for Greg McGarity to fire David Perno. I, for one, am sick and damned tired of watching our oldest varsity sports team fold like a damned lawn chair.
Go ‘Dawgs!