DURHAM — The North Carolina baseball team had the look of a squad ready to burst off the schneid Saturday.
After dropping four straight games, including Friday's series opener to Duke, 3-2, the Tar Heels (15-11, 5-6 ACC) jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first, which soon ballooned to a 6-1 lead in the top of the third.
From there, though, the game took a drastic change of course. Right-handed starter Benton Moss lost his handle on the strike zone, the Duke offense came roaring back, and — in a 12-inning, five hour and eight minute affair — the Blue Devils (16-12, 6-5 ACC) won 9-8, clinching the series.
"We had the game right where we wanted it after yesterday," said coach Mike Fox. "If we can find a way to lose, we seem to be finding it right now. It's just disappointing with a 6-1 lead."
RBI singles from freshman Wood Myers and sophomore Skye Bolt in the first put UNC in business early, and the Tar Heels tacked on three runs in the third on three bases-loaded walks, but Duke was able to chip away at UNC's lead, knocking out Moss and tying the score with two runs in the fifth inning.
Still, UNC seemed poised to salvage the game, as shortstop Michael Russell and first baseman Tom Zengel blasted back-to-back home runs to give UNC an 8-6 lead in the sixth.
Again, the Tar Heels folded.
Reliever Reilly Hovis allowed a homer and a game-tying single in the bottom of the seventh. And in the 12th, a costly throwing error by freshman right-hander Spencer Trayner on a pickoff attempt advanced a Duke baserunner from first to third with one out, setting up an eventual walk-off base knock down the third-base line from right fielder Ryan Deitrich.
Those kinds of mistakes have costed UNC throughout its five-game losing streak.
UNC will look to end that slide and salvage the final game of the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
"We talk about it all the time — we don't have any choice. We have another game tomorrow," Fox said. "We just gotta fight through it together and stay together. We have to keep coaching these kids up, and that's what we're going to do because there are no other options."
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
