Head coach Scott Forbes keeps a copy of the game card from every game he’s coached.
He files them in notebooks categorized by season. He looks back at lineups to remember former players. Then, he'll see what they're up to nowadays.
But there’s one notebook, smaller than the others, that's reserved for special games. It houses the remnants from games he wants to set aside as keepsakes.
In that notebook are box scores from games like UNC’s 18-inning clash with N.C. State in 2013, the longest ACC tournament baseball game ever. Or more recently, North Carolina’s first no-hitter this century, where three Tar Heel pitchers combined for the feat against Gardner–Webb last week.
And for the second time this week, Forbes will add another game to his collection.
A copy of No. 19 North Carolina’s 14-inning, 8-7 victory over Duke in the final game of the series on Saturday afternoon will join all the other noteworthy box scores that Forbes has kept. The win not only tied the longest game between UNC and Duke in rivalry history, but also provided a massive mid-season series victory for the Tar Heels, who since starting the year 13-0, lost their first two series to start ACC play.
“That’s a big win for us, I’m not gonna lie about it,” Forbes said. “It gives you some momentum [with] another tough week ahead.”
No one could have predicted the longevity of Saturday’s showdown, especially with the Tar Heels leading the Blue Devils 7-4 heading into the ninth inning.
But after first-year reliever Ryan Lynch walked the first two batters to start the inning, UNC brought fellow first-year Camron Seagraves out of the bullpen. In a jam, the righty allowed three straight hits before recording his first out — a fielder’s choice ground ball that plated the tying run.
