My Heroes Have Always Been Knights! Knights win 8-7 thriller against Georgia Warriors.



Will Nelson delivered the game winning 2 out hit.

The Marietta Knights were On the Road Again at Joe Cook Field in Johns Creek on Saturday with
Georgia on their Minds. The Georgia Warriors to be specific and the Blonde Headed Stranger Will Nelson supplied the fireworks with a dramatic 2 out, 2 run single that gave the Knights a huge NABL victory. Will finished the game 2 for 3 with 2 RBI's, 2 runs and a stolen base. Although there was no sign of Pancho, Lefty Gil Hastings added 2 RBI's in the win.

Marietta entered the 5th inning trailing 7-3 against tough pitching from the Warriors. Big hits from George Krivsky and Isaac Zefo and RBI's from Mason Doyle and JD Rinehimer got the Knights rolling and got their fans on their feet. Great hustle allowed Mason to take home on a passed ball and Cal Hughes to reach on a dropped third strike. Austin Hansell drew a walk to set the table for Will's heroics. Trailing 7-6 and with teammates on 2nd and 3rd with 2 outs, Will drove the 1-0 pitch deep into the RCF gap to flip the margin to an 8-7 Knights lead.

The Knights were fired up and sent Austin Hansell back to the mound in the 6th. The Warriors lead off hitter ripped a single into LF. He advanced to 2nd on a sacrifice bunt that Austin handled perfectly for the first out of the 6th. After a wild pitch the tying run stood just 70' from home with only 1 out and the crowd got tense. Now just about any ball put into play would tie the game. But in the Defensive Play of the Game, Austin threw 3 straight strikes for a HUGE strikeout  and the second out of the 6th. Austin got the next batter to ground to short where Mason made the play and the throw to a stretching Presley Field for the final out of the great team victory.

Austin Hansell shut down the Warriors
over the final 2 innings for the win.

Austin got the win on the mound striking out 2 while pitching the 5th and 6th innings. JD started the game and achieved the rare feat of striking out 4 in a single inning after 1 of the batters reached on a dropped third strike. Will Nelson and Gil Hastings each also pitched a solid inning to keep the game close. In other offensive news, Mason was 2 for 3 with a double in the game, George Krivsky was 2 for 2 and Hunter Williamson added an RBI single.

The Knights dropped the first game of the double header 7-3. In that game JD Rinehimer was 2 for 3, scored twice and stole 4 bases. Cal Hughes struck out 3 in 3 innings on the mound. The Defensive Play of the first game was another great pickoff move and run down in which Will threw to JD at 3rd who threw back to Hunter at 2nd. Hunter applied the tag and held on to the ball even as the runner rolled over his arm in an attempt to dislodge the ball.

Marietta will take their positive momentum back into tournament play next week at the Bob Galasso Classic in Sonoraville.