Round one of this season’s annual grudge match between the Diamond Dogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets saw the two squads trade blows for eight highly- entertaining innings.

Peter Verdin and his Diamond Dog teammates look to avenge their first loss to Georgia Tech at home tonight. Photo by Ashley Strickland

But the Jackets finally landed a knockout punch in the eighth, a bases-loaded walk issued by Georgia’s Alex McRee that gave Tech the 6-5 win.

That loss is still fresh in the minds of the Georgia coaches and players, and as the Bulldogs put on their gloves and grab their bats in preparation for round two tonight, many feel the outcome will be different this time around.

“I think we’re just more confident,” sophomore second baseman Levi Hyams said. “The defense is playing well, just the way we want it.

“When the defense plays well it gives pitchers confidence, pitchers throw well it gives hitters confidence, so it’s a big snowball effect and I think it’s going to go in our favor.”

For a team that enters tonight’s game with an 11-21 record and that hasn’t strung together consecutive wins since taking two of three games from Siena in March, the Bulldogs still show signs of swagger.

The little momentum the Bulldogs carry into tonight’s showdown comes from the Bulldogs admirable performances against a talented, No. 15 Ole Miss squad, particularly in Sunday’s 6-3 win.

“We learned that we can compete with anyone,” sophomore right fielder Peter Verdin said. “We won one and should have won another one and I think we learned we’re just as good as anyone else.”

The erratic pitching that has troubled Georgia all season long has finally showed signs of improvement, especially in the Ole Miss series.

The Georgia staff combined to post a 3.19 ERA, a far cry from the team’s lofty 8.02 total ERA this season.

If the Bulldogs are to have any chance tonight against the No. 5 Yellow Jackets (27-5), the squad will need a much stronger performance from scheduled starter Eric Swegman, who failed to retire a single batter in a start last Tuesday in the team’s 15-5 loss to No. 16 Clemson.

A win tonight however, could go a long way in terms of building confidence for a Georgia squad struggling to stay afloat in the SEC, with a pivotal three-game series this weekend at Arkansas looming on the horizon.

“We need a little springboard to get us into a weekend knowing that we can win,” Georgia head coach David Perno said.