GREENSBORO, N.C. - Generally, the world of baseball is full of routines, patterns, and unwritten rules that always seem to hold up. One of those expectations states that Friday night games usually consist of a low-scoring pitcher's duel. However, William Peace's 3rd USA South conference series could not have started farther from that truth.
The Pacers made the drive over to Greensboro college to face the 2nd place Pride in a key USA South match up. Peace got right off the bus and jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first with a Gavin Turner RBI single.
Greensboro answered back with 3 runs in their first trip to the plate, setting a tone that would ring true for the next 16 frames, all offense, all the time. The Pacers answered the Greenboro 3 with a 5 in the second. Adam Joseph and Justin Earle both singled in runs to tie the game before a scorching Gavin Turner stepped up to launch another homer, doubling the Pacer run total from 3 to 6.
The third inning was the anomaly of the game as it was the only full inning of the entire game where neither team scratched a run.
Both Turner brothers drove in runs in the fourth inning, giving Pacer fans some breathing room for the moment. Greensboro answered with some traffic on the basepath, but only managed one run, changing the scoreboard to 8-4.
Peace added another insurance run in the 5th when Jacob Herzberg singled in Adam Joseph. Greensboro homered in the 6th, but the solo nature of the blast didn't hurt significantly.
The scoreboard read 9-5 before the Pride stepped to the plate in the 7th to see the Pacers first reliever of the game after starter Jack McIntosh was pulled after 6 innings of work.
Some consider 9-5 to be a high scoring baseball game already, both the overall run total would be doubled in the next 3 innings.
Greensboro scored 5 runs in the bottom of the seventh, finding barrels off of 3 different Pacer relievers to double their run total and take a 10-9 lead. The Pride would hit another double in the 8th, making the lead 11-9 and two wild pitches later, Greensboro held a 13-9 lead.
Justin Earle would start the last gasp for the Pacers with a 2 RBI double in the 9th, cutting the deficit to two. Another Ian Turner base hit and a throwing error later, the Pacer had tied the game at 13. A bases loaded walk along with another Greensboro wild pitch gave the Pacers unprecedented breathing room. A 6 run top of the 9th flipped the game on its head and the momentum shift at Ted Leonard Park was palpable.
But, of course, in a game like this, a quiet 9th just wouldn't have fit the story. Greensboro would start the frame with a walk and a double, putting runners on second and third. Yet another wild pitch would draw the Pride within one, bringing the winning run to the plate. Two walks would load the bases for Greensboro Junior Shane Garrett. Garrett would shoot a single down the left field line, bringing home two runs and winning the game.
31 runs, 35 hits, 4 errors, and one heartbreaking loss for the Pacers. Peace is back at it with the Pride tomorrow for a double header to wrap up the series.
