Charleston weekend series

Absolutely one of the sweetest victories I've ever seen ! (And I've seen a bunch over the years.)

Jordan Smith pitched well enough to win, but it looked like when he left the game in the bottom of the 7th that he was a sure loser today. Jordan gave up 6 hits in 6+ innings and only 4 of the 6 runs scored were earned. 6 K's, 2 BB's and one HBP. It was unbelievable how the ump was squeezing the strike zone on him. He never got a corner call all day.

In the 3rd or 4th inning, that dunce called a shoulder-high strike on Cody Jones and our dugout let him hold it. He stopped the game, walked over toward our dugout, pulled out his little pad and wrote down a bench warning.

The end of the 7th might have given us a clue of what was to come. Chuck had scored 3 runs (2 of them unearned) to take a 6-2 lead and we brought in our 3rd pitcher of the inning with two out and a runner on 1st. Alex Barr, a Freshman from Yadkin County, came in and didn't throw a pitch to the plate. His first throw was over to 1B and he picked the runner off to end the inning. SWEET !! His parents were at the game.

But I confess, I had given up on this game. We were down 6-2. I've seen Patriot's Point be a house of horrors for the Cats too many times. All I could think was "these %#&^$%@ have done it to us again!!" I texted Phil Martin (from Yadkinville) between innings and said, "No way we make up a 4 run deficit."

Well, these young men proved me wrong and showed what they are made of. They could have mailed it in, but they didn't. Aaron Attaway HR. Cody Jones solid single. Chuck brought in their best reliever but he couldn't even slow down that Cat Machine! J. Ridings tripled into the RF corner. T-White HR. Austin Neary solid single. Jacob Hoyle doubled to the LCF wall. Luke Gragg singled over the SS head. 5 runs in; runners on 1st and 3rd and still no one out! SWEET !! Sac fly brought in run #6.

Barr got Chuck out in fine fashion in the 8th. K. Solid single. 6-4-3 DP

Then we got 2 more runs on 3 solid hits in the top of the 9th. (No lead is safe at Patriot's Point.)

Hatch closed out the bottom of the 9th. I believe someone has already posted that this is the first time we've won a series vs. Chuck in Charleston. SWEET !!

Perhaps Hook mentioned it on the radio, but Chuck's HC Monte Lee was ejected at the end of Friday night's game because of his response to the game-ending call at the plate. So he was suspended from Games 2 and 3 by SoCon rules.

At the end of game 2, Austin Neary was mouthing with virtually the whole Chuck team in front of their dugout. Not very smart. I suspect Neary needs to mature and develop more self-control. He was using some language that will get your butt cut very quickly.

We could have lost Game #1 except the call at the plate. We had the bases loaded when the final out was made in Game 2, so that game was win-able despite our sloppy play. It was a great series. Chuck does not have the dominant pitching they have had in past year, but they are a very good team and will be a factor in the SoCon race this year.