April 2, 2013 the Dodge County High School (DCHS) Indians took the long ride to Thomson to take on the Bulldogs.
I don’t usually go into a lot of detail of the Indians games but this game had an ending that can’t go un-talked about.
The Indians had trailed the entire game. The score was four to zero going into the top of the sixth inning. The Indians managed to load the bases but had two outs.
Jordan Smith was up to bat and the Thomson coach made the decision to give the Indians a run by intentionally walking Smith. The controversial decision did not pay off for the coach.
Cain Peterson drove a ball down the first base line and tripled to tie the game. The Indians were not able to push across the go ahead run.
Thomson did not score in the bottom of sixth and neither team scored in the seventh.
In the top of the eighth Smith scored the go ahead run on a single by Lance Pruett. Aron Chick was able to hold Thomson scoreless in the bottom of the eighth to secure the win.
Jordan Smith pitched six innings striking out six, walking three and allowed four runs on nine hits. Chick gets credited with the win, pitching two innings, striking out two, walking one and holding Thomson scoreless.
At the plate, Jordan Smith was two for two and Austin Clements, Chick, Peterson, Pruett and Lane Crummey all added hits. Dodge made a great comeback for a big region win with a final score of five to four.
On April 5, 2013 Dodge County traveled to Jefferson County to take on the Warriors in a region game.
Chick was the starting pitcher for the Indians. He threw six innings striking out 11, walking three, allowing four hits and one run.
The Indians had a great night at the plate with eight different players contributing. Peterson was two for three with a double, Smith was two for four with a double, Andrew Hardy was two for four with a double, Jonathon Smith was two for four, Slade Yawn was two for four, Chick had a double, Pruett and Josh Perdue both added singles. Pruett had one inning of relief striking out two and walking one.
Dodge County moves to seven and zero in the region with a 12-1 victory.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 DCHS traveled to Treutlen County and Yawn got the start for the Indians pitching four innings, striking out three, walking two and surrendering one run on five hits.
Dodge County held a four to one lead most of the game behind the hitting of Peterson who was two for two with a double and a homerun, Hunter Graham one for two, Pruett one for three, Yawn one for three and Clements was one for four. Pruett came on in relief in the bottom of the fifth.
In the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and nobody out, Pruett managed to strike out two before giving up a walk off grand slam. The Indians lost a heart breaker six to four.
The Indians welcomed the Swainsboro Tigers for a Region 3-AAA match-up on Friday, April 12, 2013.
Dodge County could not get the bats going for most of this game. Swainsboro led two to zero until the bottom of the seventh. The Indians have proved that they have the ability to battle to the last out and make a come back. In the bottom of the seventh the Indians were able to score two to tie the game.
Both teams had opportunities in extra innings to put the game away but couldn’t make it happen.
Finally in the top of the 11th, Swainsboro had a runner on third and the batter squared to bunt as the runner broke for home. The batter did not bunt the ball and Hardy caught the pitch and applied the tag, or so we thought. The home plate umpire called the runner safe and Swainsboro took a three to two lead.
The Indians were not able to score in the bottom of the 11th and suffered their first region loss.
Chick pitched 10 innings striking out 14, walking one and gave up two runs on seven hits. Jordan Smith threw one inning striking out two allowing one hit and one run. Offensively for the Indians, Jonathon Perdue was two for four, Chick was two for five and Peterson was two for five. Pruett, Hardy, Hunter Graham and Josh Perdue all added hits for Dodge County.