Athens Falls to 0-2 After a Walk-Off Loss to Logan
By: Anna Hoffman
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What was a slow-pitcher’s duel turned into an exciting walk-off finish. After holding the lead until the final inning, the Athens Bulldogs fought the umpire’s final call for Logan. In the final minutes of the game Logan player Robert Pyles bounced the ball past the shortstop driving in two runs.
But as the Logan Chieftains celebrated their first win against Athens in many years, the Bulldogs argued that Logan’s Nolan Robinette did not touch home plate.
In the end, the umpires stuck to their original call sending the Bulldogs on a disappointing ride back home.
The first four innings was a matchup between Athens pitcher Jack Cornwell and Logan pitcher Jakob Kline. The two took turns on the mound striking out player after player. It was rare for any batter to get a hit in the first four innings.
Not until the fifth inning did the Athens Bulldogs get a burst of energy. The inning started with a grounder putting a runner on first. The team continued to heat up as Cornwell stepped up to the plate to bunt the ball. Logan’s pitcher, going for another easy out, missed the catch allowing the Bulldogs to have two men on base and leading to Athens scoring the first run of the game in the top fifth.
Entering the final stretch, it looked like it was over for the Chieftains, but in the top of the sixth, Coach Cody Sutton put in relief pitcher, Garrett Mace.
“Even though he’s a young guy, he showed a lot of good stuff in the off season,” Sutton said. “We had all the faith in the world in him.”
That proved to be a good decision as Mace kept the Bulldogs from scoring sealing the victory for Logan.