The dramatic beauty of baseball

June 3, 2024 

The beauty of baseball was on full display at Foley Field Sunday evening.

Georgia rallied for an 8-6 10-inning win over rival Georgia Tech to win the Athens Regional. The Bulldogs will host a super regional next weekend against North Carolina State.

The nature of competition in any sport results in moments of drama that bring spectators back. But with the one-on-one matchup of pitcher and batter in baseball, its ability to manufacture drama is enhanced.

Before Sunday’s game, I remarked to my bride, Jan, “How about a nine-inning party?” Let’s score early and enjoy the day.

By the end, I had changed my tone. “I’ll settle for a ninth-inning party,” I said.

The first exhilarating moment of the ninth inning came when Georgia shortstop Kolby Branch hit a solo homer to tie the game.

Even though Branch is the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, it was not totally unexpected that he would hit a homer. He’s hit 17 of them, a total surpassed only by two teammates (more about them later).

Seventy years from now when Kolby Branch is buried, they should put on his tombstone, “Mr. Grand Slam.” He’s hit four of them this year, including one in Saturday’s win over UNC-Wilmington.

Given that he led off the ninth inning, we will forgive him for hitting only a solo shot, particularly since it made the rest of the night’s dramatics possible.

Georgia skipper Wes Johnson put Charlie Goldstein on the mound to start the ninth. Slated to be one of “the arms” this year, his season has been riddled with injuries. It has been a month since he had pitched at all.  He lasted all of five pitches in the ninth before he exited, betrayed by his arm again.

Matthew Hoskins, boasting a hideous 24.00 ERA, got two out, but eventually walked the bases loaded.

Enter Chandler Marsh to pitch.

Bases loaded. Two outs. Tie game. That is the definition of do or die.

Hey, why not ratchet up the drama with a full count?

That’s where it stood when Tech shortstop Payton Green hit a high hopper between first and second. First baseman Corey Collins ranged to his right to field it. His only play was for the putout at first, if the pitcher got there in time.

I can’t do justice to Marsh’s athleticism in making the play. Collins did not make the most artful throw, but it was timely. Marsh had to go low to field it. He slid feet first into the bag as he simultaneously stretched to catch the throw.

The pump fist by the umpire: out!

Oh, the glory of it all.

Of course, there was a review. Why would Georgia Tech not review it? The umpires signaled the Georgia players back onto the field. Why? If the call stands, they bat. If it does not, the game is over.

It stood. Glory, glory, again.

In the 10th, Georgia scored three times. The first came when Tech’s third baseman, a defensive replacement, threw high on a sacrifice bunt.

Then Collins doubled on an 0-2 count to drive in two more runs.

Collins is not the quintessential leadoff man. But goodness, does he ever get on base. He’s second on the team in homers with 19. He’s walked 54 times. He may have the most disciplined batter’s eye I’ve ever seen. If there is a stat for lowest chase rate, he is the world leader. He swings at the good ones and watches the bad ones.

There was more drama yet to come.

A three-run lead is nice, but it means that a grand slam can undo it all with one swing.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, Tech loaded the bases, with no outs, in the 10th. At bat, Drew Burress.

Every team has an alpha dog. Georgia is fortunate to have the alpha dog of alpha dog in Charlie Condon, whose metrics compare to Barry Bonds.

No kidding.

The man is a national treasure.

He had two hits against Tech before they gave up and went to walking him intentionally. That has become a familiar strategy. Avoid the pain. Kind of like when football teams use to throw to whichever side of the field cornerback Champ Bailey was not on.

Anyway, Burress is Tech’s version of Charlie Condon. In a pinch, he is the player Yellow Jacket fans most desire at the plate.

Marsh had failed to get an out, and Leighton Finley had relieved him. He had yielded a single that loaded the bases. He fell behind to Burress, two balls and no strikes.

Called strike. Called strike. Swinging strike. Air escapes from Tech’s balloon.

A sacrifice fly and a groundout, and it was over. Count it as perhaps the best relief outing by a Georgia starter since Dave Fleming saved the 1990 College World Series title clincher against Oklahoma State.

The super regional starts this weekend, against North Carolina State. Oddly enough, the last time Georgia advanced to the College World Series, 2008, it was at the expense of North Carolina State, which included among its participants second baseman Russell Wilson. You may recognize his name from NFL exploits.

As I recall, Georgia scored a boatload of runs in the first inning of the decisive super regional game to advance to the College World Series. That was fun too, but not nearly as dramatic.