Normal, IL.  – The Heartland Hawks split their season opening double header with Frontier Community College Bobcats on Friday. Dropping game one with a score of 4-2, but the Hawks quickly bounced back to take game two in walk-off fashion 5-4.

GAME 1
Sophomore Andrew Zapka was the Hawks opening day starter. The sophomore worked efficiently over 5.0 innings giving up only two hits and one run. Zapka struck out six and only walked two in his start.

The Hawks did not waste any time getting on the scoreboard. Sam Olson (Xavier commit) reached on a throwing error, and advanced to second to lead-off the game. Matt Barnes moved the runner with a ground out to the shortstop. Freshman Billy Mote (Baylor transfer) recorded a two out single through the right side to drive in Olson.

The Bobcats answered in the top of the second with a lead-off double that eventually scored via a walk tying the game a 1-1.
Sophomore Polk State (FL) transfer, Miles Simington, answered in the bottom of the second with a blast to right center field for his first homerun of the season. Hawks lead 2-1 after two.

The game remained 2-1 until the top of the seventh. Sophomore Paul Turelli entered the game in relief for Zapka in the sixth. A bloop single in the top of the seventh started the action for the Bobcats. The runner eventually reached third base with two outs. A strikeout in the dirt was overthrown at first allowing the game tying run to score and force the game into extra innings.

The Bobcats would tack on two more in the top of the eighth as the Hawks failed to get anything going. Dropping the season opener 4-2 in eight innings.
Turelli took the loss working 2.2 innings giving up three runs (two earned) with three walks and five strikeouts.
 
GAME 2
Sophomore catcher and recent University of Central Missouri commit, Tyler McHolland, lined a double to left center field to lead-off the bottom of the seventh in a 4-4 game. Freshman Tyler Thierry (Normal West HS graduate) pinch ran for McHolland, and would later score the game winning run on a wild pitch as the Hawks closed out their first win of the season 5-4. The win is Head Coach Jimmy Frankos first win as the Heartland Hawks head coach.

Olson (2-for-4, run) and sophomore Shakur Jackson (1-for-1, 2BB, run) (Northwestern Ohio commit) lead the offensive attack for the Hawks in game two. Mote (1-for-4, RBI) chipped in another RBI single to help out.

Freshman Luke Patzner picked up the win in relief working 0.2 innings with one strikeout.

Sophomore Garner Spoljaric worked a solid 4.0 innings in his start. He did not allow a run on three hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.

Heartland (1-1) returns to action Sunday, March 10th at 9:30AM ET against Lakeland Community College in Auburndale, FL. For complete live coverage of Heartland Baseball you can follow at heartlandhawks.com