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Diamond Dogs depart on 'fairy tale ending'

MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

Issue date: 6/12/08 Section: Sports

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Media Credit: NICK PASSARELLO

Ryan Peisel (3), Gordon Beckham (6) and Matt Olson (30) celebrate Beckham's seventh-inning home run in Sunday's Super Regional clincher against N.C. State. The homer gave Beckham a share of Georgia's all-time career home run record with 51.

[Click to enlarge]

Sometimes, not even the best fiction writer can trump reality, and for three departing members of the Georgia baseball team, Sunday's Game 3 versus North Carolina State did just that.

In the bottom of the seventh, the top of Georgia's order was due to step into the box for the final time in their illustrious careers at Foley Field.

But as they had all season, senior third baseman Ryan Peisel, senior right fielder Matt Olson and junior shortstop Gordon Beckham ignited a Diamond Dog rally that turned a 13-3 whooping into a 17-3 embarrassment of the Wolfpack.

On the second pitch Peisel saw, he lined his 10th home run of the season over the right center field fence in what he thought would be his final at-bat at Foley Field.

"It was pretty sweet," Peisel said. "I'm not gonna lie, but I was actually hoping that it was going to be my last at-bat. The rest of the guys decided that they were going to keep hitting and I got up again and I grounded out. But for us to go out like that, that was the way that I would have wanted to end [my career at Foley Field]."

Olson then singled, bringing up Beckham, the No. 8 overall selection of the Chicago White Sox. Beckham, who had homered in the first, was only one home run shy of tying Josh Morris' Georgia career home run record of 51.

"I was obviously swinging for it the first couple hacks I had, but with two strikes I was like, 'don't strike out and embarrass yourself.'"

Beckham then turned on a 2-2 pitch and sent a no-doubt dinger into the trees, his 26th of the season and 51st of his career, and sent the crowd into a frenzy. Upon reaching the dugout, he came out of the dugout for his first-ever curtain call, raising his cap to the fans who had supported him for the last three years.