Dodge had to shuffle its schedule as weather threatened to leave them without a single game last week. A game at West Laurens was cancelled when West Laurens cancelled classes for students on Wednesday. By rule, class cancellations prohibit a school from hosting sporting events on that day.
Dodge offered to host West Laurens, but the Raiders declined. On Friday, Dodge County was forced to cancel classes due to weather preventing the Indians from hosting Berrien County as scheduled. Berrien invited the Indians to travel down to Nashville for the second time in seven days. Eager to avenge a gut wrenching defeat at the hands of Berrien, Dodge took the Rebels up on the offer. The Indians took advantage of the hospitality by defeating Berrien 6-1.
Andrew Lowery started on the mound for Dodge and had another excellent performance. He would run his consecutive scoreless innings streak to ten and two thirds (10 2/3) innings before giving up a solo home run with two outs in the third inning. Lowery followed that by hitting a batter, giving up a base hit, and issuing a walk to load the bases with two outs. Lowery got the next batter to fly out to Brendan O’Connor in left field for the third out. Lowery would go on to pitch three more scoreless innings to earn his second win of the season finishing with six innings pitched allowing three hits and one run while striking out three, walking two and hitting one batter. Landin Crummey came into pitch the seventh inning and retired all three batters striking out one.
Offensively, Dodge eventually took advantage of several Berrien miscues while hitting the ball a little better than last week. Dodge also ran the bases well. Dodge wasted a leadoff single by O’Connor and a single and stolen base by Garret Durden who was bumped up to the two-spot in the batting order.
In the second, Dodge wasted a leadoff single by Brodie Woodard. A would be extra base hit by Davis Marchant landed inches foul down the right field line. Marchant then hit into a fielder’s choice erasing Woodard. Marchant was erased when Crummey hit into a fielder’s choice. A Dodge strikeout ended the inning.
In the Dodge third, O’Connor led off with another base hit. He was erased when Durden hit into a fielder’s choice. Parker Dixon flew out to deep center for the second out. Lowery and Noah Mincey drew walks to load the bases. Then Brodie Woodard drew a walk to plate Durden. With the bases still loaded, Coach Herring gave the go ahead for Seth Cossett to attempt a straight steal of home plate. Cossett has good speed and had entered earlier as a courtesy runner for Lowery.
The right handed pitcher was pitching from the windup with the bases loaded, which meant there was nothing he could do but deliver to the plate once he started his motion. Cossett timed it up and went on first movement sliding into the plate before the catcher could receive the pitch and tag him. For good measure, the left handed Crummey feigned a bunt attempt to try and distract the catcher. Mincey and Woodard stole second and third respectively thus completing the rarest play in all of baseball, the “straight triple steal.” Dodge led 2-0.
Dodge would add another run in the fourth. Marchant reached on an error by the third baseman when he hit a high pop up into the swirling wind. The third baseman didn’t have a chance. It looked like something you would see at old Candlestick Park. Timmy Johnson came in as a pinch runner for the designated hitter Marchant and would take his spot in the batting order thereafter. O’Connor then hit one hard to third base that was scored an error as the third base man misplayed the hop. The speedy Johnson advanced to third on the play. With two outs, Parker Dixon doubled to left scoring Johnson and giving Dodge a 3-1 lead.
Dodge defeats Berrien County while making historic play
Dodge would break it open in the fifth. Mincey led off with a base hit. Crummey walked. Parker Hardin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Kade Harpe came in to run for Hardin. O’Connor ripped a double over the head of the left fielder to clear the bases and give Dodge a 6-1 lead. That would be the final score.
The thing I love about watching a baseball game is that any time you go to the ball park you may just see something you have never seen before. Such was the case Friday night when fans witnessed a “straight triple steal.” Just how rare is it? According to Baseball Almanac, in Major League Baseball, it is rarer than hitting for the cycle (330 times), pitching a perfect game (23 times), or an unassisted triple play (15 times). There are only two known “straight triple steals” in the history of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Athletics did it twice in one game on July 25, 1930. A “straight triple steal” occurs when the bases are loaded and all three runners simultaneously break for the next base.
There have been two other triple steals in Major League Baseball history. In 1987, the Braves’ Gerald Perry attempted to steal home as Astros catcher Ron Reynolds threw the ball back to the pitcher. Perry and Reynolds collided at the plate injuring Reynolds and allowing two other Braves to advance one base as Reynolds lay on the ground. A triple steal was credited. In 2008, the Indians had the bases loaded when a White Sox pitcher attempted to pickoff Indian Jamie Carroll at first base. Carroll was hung up in a rundown. David Dellucci broke for home and scored on an errant throw to the plate by Paul Konerko. Carroll moved to second and Grady Sizemore to third on the play. The official scorer ruled that a good throw from Konerko would not have been in time to get Dellucci at the plate and awarded a triple steal on the play. In the college ranks, the Vanderbilt Commodores made national headlines by pulling off a “straight triple steal” against Auburn in 2016 after having also done it against Florida in 2012. This was a rare feat indeed for Seth Cossett, Noah Mincey and Brodie Woodard.
Leading hitters for Dodge were as follows: Brendan O’Connor was three for five with a double and three runs batted in. Garrett Durden was two for four with a stolen base and one run scored. Parker Dixon was one for four with a double and one run batted in. Noah Mincey was one for three with one walk, one stolen base and one run scored. Brodie Woodard was one for three with one walk, one run scored and one stolen base.
After four games, statistical leaders for Dodge are as follows: homeruns - Dixon (2); doubles – Dixon (two) and O’Connor (two); Triples – Garrett Durden (one); runs batted in – Dixon (six) and O’Connor (six); runs scored – Garrett Durden (four) Johnson (three) and Woodard (three); batting average (minimum 12 at bats) – Dixon (.429), Garrett Durden (.429), Mincey (.333) and O’Connor (.333); innings pitched – Lowery (14), Woodard (seven) and Crummey (six); wins – Andrew Lowery (two) and Woodard (one); wins – Andrew Lowery (two) and Woodard (one); strikeouts – Lowery (11) and Crummey (six) and earned run average (minimum seven innings pitched) – Woodard (0.00) and Lowery (0.50).
Dodge will travel to Vidalia High for a game on Wednesday, February 26th at 5:45 p.m. On Saturday, February 29th, Dodge will travel to Cordele where they will take on Crisp County High at 10:00 a.m. and Southland Academy of Americus at 2:00 p.m. These games will be broadcast on Wolf Country 97.5 FM.
The thing I love about watching a baseball game is that any time you go to the ball park you may just see something you have never seen before. Such was the case Friday night when fans witnessed a “straight triple steal.” Just how rare is it? According to Baseball Almanac, in Major League Baseball, it is rarer than hitting for the cycle (330 times), pitching a perfect game (23 times), or an unassisted triple play (15 times). There are only two known “straight triple steals” in the history of Major League Baseball. The Philadelphia Athletics did it twice in one game on July 25, 1930. A “straight triple steal” occurs when the bases are loaded and all three runners simultaneously break for the next base.
There have been two other triple steals in Major League Baseball history. In 1987, the Braves’ Gerald Perry attempted to steal home as Astros catcher Ron Reynolds threw the ball back to the pitcher. Perry and Reynolds collided at the plate injuring Reynolds and allowing two other Braves to advance one base as Reynolds lay on the ground. A triple steal was credited. In 2008, the Indians had the bases loaded when a White Sox pitcher attempted to pickoff Indian Jamie Carroll at first base. Carroll was hung up in a rundown. David Dellucci broke for home and scored on an errant throw to the plate by Paul Konerko. Carroll moved to second and Grady Sizemore to third on the play. The official scorer ruled that a good throw from Konerko would not have been in time to get Dellucci at the plate and awarded a triple steal on the play. In the college ranks, the Vanderbilt Commodores made national headlines by pulling off a “straight triple steal” against Auburn in 2016 after having also done it against Florida in 2012. This was a rare feat indeed for Seth Cossett, Noah Mincey and Brodie Woodard.
Leading hitters for Dodge were as follows: Brendan O’Connor was three for five with a double and three runs batted in. Garrett Durden was two for four with a stolen base and one run scored. Parker Dixon was one for four with a double and one run batted in. Noah Mincey was one for three with one walk, one stolen base and one run scored. Brodie Woodard was one for three with one walk, one run scored and one stolen base.
After four games, statistical leaders for Dodge are as follows: homeruns - Dixon (2); doubles – Dixon (two) and O’Connor (two); Triples – Garrett Durden (one); runs batted in – Dixon (six) and O’Connor (six); runs scored – Garrett Durden (four) Johnson (three) and Woodard (three); batting average (minimum 12 at bats) – Dixon (.429), Garrett Durden (.429), Mincey (.333) and O’Connor (.333); innings pitched – Lowery (14), Woodard (seven) and Crummey (six); wins – Andrew Lowery (two) and Woodard (one); wins – Andrew Lowery (two) and Woodard (one); strikeouts – Lowery (11) and Crummey (six) and earned run average (minimum seven innings pitched) – Woodard (0.00) and Lowery (0.50).
Dodge will travel to Vidalia High for a game on Wednesday, February 26th at 5:45 p.m. On Saturday, February 29th, Dodge will travel to Cordele where they will take on Crisp County High at 10:00 a.m. and Southland Academy of Americus at 2:00 p.m. These games will be broadcast on Wolf Country 97.5 FM.
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