DAHLONEGA – Despite a career-high 13 strikeouts from Matthew Heard, the No. 11 University of North Georgia (UNG) baseball team dropped its ranked midweek matchup 4-2 against No. 9 North Greenville at Bob Stein Stadium.
Wednesday night's contest lived up to its billing as a pitcher's duel, as two of the top offenses in Division II baseball combined for just eight hits and six runs.
North Greenville struck first in the opening inning off a pair of stolen bases, advancing a runner home from third to take the first lead of the ballgame.
After the Trailblazers plated their first run, Heard started to find a rhythm with four-straight swinging strikeouts to carry him through the top of the second.
North Georgia answered in the bottom of the frame, as Schley Gordy advanced to third on heads-up base running before scoring on a wild pitch to even the game at 1-1. Heard made quick work of the Trailblazers in the top of the third to bring the Nighthawk bats back up in the home half of the inning.
A lead off double from Brady Skipper in the bottom of the third put a runner in scoring position for Brody Yeomans, who delivered an RBI single to centerfield to send Skipper home and give the Nighthawks the lead.
Heard continued to dominate through the middle innings with three up, three downs in the fourth and fifth frames.
The Trailblazers responded with a lead off home run in the top of the six to knot the game at 2-2. Heard limited any more damage in the frame sent the next three batters down with a strikeout to close out the inning.
In the top of the eighth, with two outs on the board and a runner in scoring position, Josh Foulks delivered a high fly ball to centerfield in the direction of Caleb Farr. After already making a handful of highlight plays in the outfield this evening, Farr. tracked the ball back past the warning track and into the wall to make the catch and preserve the tie.
The game turned in the ninth inning, when North Greenville loaded the bases with one out. Heard's spectacular night was done, as Chandler Thiel came out of the bullpen to try and close out the game for North Georgia.
After an easy first out from Thiel, The Trailblazers came up with their biggest at bat of the game. A line drive made its way past a diving Skipper into right field to bring home a pair of runs and give North Greenville the lead. North Georgia did not have an answer in the bottom of the ninth, and the Trailblazers escaped with the win.
Despite this game going down as a loss for Heard, the senior from Loganville, Ga. delivered one of the best games of his collegiate career with 13 strikeouts while only surrendering five hits, four runs and three walks.
CJ Dean and Connot McKee lead the Trailblazers (22-6, 11-4 CC) with a pair of hits each.
North Georgia (23-6, 14-1 PBC) returns to conference play this weekend, hosting Flagler for a three-game series beginning Friday, Mar. 20 at 5 p.m. at Bob Stein Stadium.
