Alpharetta, GA – Friday night in Alpharetta the Aviators hosted the Gol’Diggers in the series' first game. The winner of this series will hold a share of first place in the Sunbelt Baseball League as we approach the halfway mark in the season.
The Gol’Diggers were first to score a run as Noah Darden hit a triple and Tanner Patterson scored Darden on a ground ball hit.
In the first three innings, Gol’Diggers pitcher Wyatt Dodgens was pitching a gem retiring all 9 batters he faced and sticking out 4. The pitching gem turned into mud during the fourth inning as the Aviators scored 6 runs. It all started with a lead-off single by Jackson Morgan, then a double by Jacob Cowart, and a 2 RBI triple by Steven Vrolijk. Emory Guilford followed the triple with an RBI double then an errant throw led to Braeden Schnable reaching base. A sac fly by Burton Hahn scored Guilford. A single followed the sac fly and the final blow was hit by Landon Armstrong with a 2 RBI single. In the fifth inning, the Aviators scored on an Emory Guilford RBI double to give the Aviators a giant 7-1 lead.
Meanwhile, the Aviators pitchers Benjamin Weiser and Blythe Keisler kept the Gol’Diggers scoreless in 7 of the 8 innings they combined to pitch for. Aviators’ starter Benjamin Weiser went four innings facing 17 batters allowing only 1 hit, 1 earned run, and struck out 3 batters. Keisler relieved Weiser to start the fifth inning and went four innings facing 16 batters allowing 3 hits, no runs, and striking out 3 batters.
Corey Dowdell hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to add to the Aviators’ lead going into the ninth inning.
It did get a little interesting in the ninth inning as the Gol’Diggers put on a 3-run rally led by a bunch of reserve batters. A Double hit by Kazuto Matsuda led it off, Matsuda is typically a pitcher, and Preston Martin came in to pinch hit following Matsuda and was Hit by a pitch. Cole Harof was subbed into the game in the seventh and hit a 2 RBI triple. An RBI ground out hit by pinch hitter Mason Cooper scored Harof. Then pinch hitter Johnny Smith reached on a single but the game ended on the next at bat from another pinch hitter that hit a double play ball.
The Aviators took the first game of the series in an 8-4 victory and currently hold a share of first place with the Monsters and Wild. The Aviators look to take over that top spot Saturday night at the American Legion field with the start time of 7:05 PM.
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