Just a friendly afternoon of baseball between friends

The ECI Bulldogs hosted the Swainsboro Tigers Saturday at Joe Harvey Field for ECI’s second game of the season.

In what was the calm before the storm the ECI JV easily defeated the Tiger JV 9-1 to begin the day Saturday morning.

The two varsity teams tangled up Saturday afternoon. The game had its dramatic moments with one 3 run home run that tied the game for the Bulldogs. But the big blow came in the bottom of the 10th inning with a walkoff 3 run homerun to win the game for the Bulldogs 11-8.

The Tigers drew first blood in the game in the top of the second on a lead off double by Deloach followed by a single by Conley for a 1-0 lead.

The Bulldogs put two runners on base for the Tigers to begin the third on two consecutive walks. Swainsboro moved runners over on a sac bunt to put runners in scoring position. Lloyd scored both on a single to put the Tigers up 3-0 in the top of the third.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the third. With two runners on after a walk and hit batsman, Jackson Kennedy scored both on a single to center with Swainsboro still leading 3-2.

The Tigers extended their lead to 6-2 scoring 3 more runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Swainsboro loaded the bases full of Bulldogs in the bottom of the fourth on a walk and two hit batsmen. The Bulldogs got one run out of the situation on a single by Bryson Thompson. The Tigers turned a double play to get out of the mess to end the inning, still leading ECI 6-3.

The Bulldogs found themselves down 7-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning after the Tigers plated another run in the fifth.

Davis Johnson led off the sixth with a single and Gabe Lee followed Johnson with a walk. Bryson Thompson tied the game on a 3 run shot to left center with the game knotted up at 7-7 after 6 innings.

The game went into extra innings with neither team able to break through in the seventh inning.

The Tigers threatened to take the game in the ninth inning loading the bases. The Bulldogs got out of it on a popup with two outs. ECI was unable to plate a run in the bottom of the nineth to put the game into the tenth.

After 10 innings, the rule now in GHSA baseball is to start the inning with a runner in scoring position at second base.

With a runner at second, the Tigers took the lead in the top of the tenth on a two out single by Deloach for a 8-7 lead.

The Bulldogs tied the game again in the bottom of the inning. Davis Johnson hit a sac fly to score Kanyon Thompson after Gunner Johnson moved him over to over to third on a sacrifice bunt.

Gabe Lee followed Johnson with a single to center field. Tuff Boddiford got on after getting hit on the fourth pitch to put Lee in scoring position.

Bryson Thompson got the Bulldog fans to their feet, hitting a two out, two strike pitch over the left field fence on a walk off HR to end the game 11-8 for ECI’s only lead of the game.

The hits were almost even as the Bulldogs edged the Tigers by one hit 10-9.

Bryson Thompson stole the show in hits with 3 including two crucial homeruns and 8 RBI. Jackson Kennedy was the other multiple hit Bulldog with two. Five other Bulldogs ended the game with one hit each.

Along with some good defense, the Bulldog pitching staff pitched out of some difficult situations giving up 13 free passes on 9 walks and 4 hit batsman.

It was a great game between two quality, well coached playoff teams who will get to see each other again in a few weeks in Swainsboro.

Earlier in the week on Tuesday, the Bulldogs began the 2025 season in Reidsville, run ruling the Battle Creek Warriors in 5 innings 14-4.

Yesterday the Bulldogs were in Savannah taking on the Red Raiders from Savannah Christian. The Bulldogs will be home the rest of the week, hosting Oglethorpe County on Thursday and close out the week with Southeast Bulloch on Friday.

The Bulldogs open up region play on Tuesday, February 25 when they travel to Metter to take on the Tigers.