TIGERVILLE, S.C. – Georgia Southwestern battled the top-10 Trailblazers for 13 innings Friday afternoon, but a late North Greenville rally handed the Hurricanes a 2-1 extra-inning loss at Ray & Bea Dillard Field.
The Hurricanes, now 3-2 on the season, have seen both of their defeats come in games that stretched beyond nine frames.
Koehler Shines in Extended Start
Right-hander Evan Koehler once again showed why he's been a bright spot in the GSW rotation, tossing eight innings, allowing just one run on six hits, and striking out 11 while walking only one. With two starts this season, Koehler has now fanned 21 in 15 innings with a 0.60 ERA, proving nearly untouchable over the early weeks.
Following Koehler, Cooper Sain worked four innings of relief, giving up just one run while striking out six, but the Hurricanes' bullpen couldn't overcome the late pressure in the 13th.
Early Offense Holds the Line
GSW struck first in the second inning. Drew Reaves singled, followed by a single from Edwin Melendez, moving Reaves into scoring position. Noah Jones drove him home with an RBI single, giving the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead that would hold until a NGU solo home run in the fifth.
The rest of the GSW lineup battled hard, combining for seven hits, but the Hurricanes couldn't break through against North Greenville's deep pitching staff and was retired in order six times and hit into a pair of double plays.
Extra-Inning Heartbreak
The game remained deadlocked as both teams exchanged zeros from the third through the 12th innings, setting the stage for a dramatic 13th. With the game on the line, the Trailblazers' Thomas Powell doubled to center, then C.J. Dean doubled down the left-field line, scoring Powell and ending the marathon with a 2-1 North Greenville victory.
Despite the loss, GSW demonstrated resilience against a top-ranked opponent, holding them to just two runs on 12 hits and avoiding costly mistakes, as the Hurricanes' defense was sharp all afternoon and the pitching staff accounted for 17 Ks which was two shy of the program record.
Next Up
The Hurricanes will regroup after the marathon, aiming to rebound on Saturday afternoon in Game 2 of the series starting at noon.
