A major key to Heartland baseball's success throughout the 2023 season has been its offense, as the Hawks have been near the top in multiple National offensive categories. In their opening face-off against eighth-seeded Lackawanna College on Sunday at the NJCAA DII World Series, the top-seeded Hawks rallied behind great pitching en route to a 6-3 victory over the Falcons at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla.
 
After two scoreless frames to begin the contest by both teams, the Falcons (39-16) struck first with three tallies in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Dennis Pierce laced a solo shot to ignite the scoring for the visitors off of Heartland starter Meade Johnson, followed by run-scoring hits by Ian Murphy and Eric Ludwick. The Hawks would get on the board with a run in the bottom of the third after Bobby Atkinson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 3-1.
 
From there, Johnson settled in. The righty hurler set down five of the next six Falcon hitters, and escaped a couple of jams to hold the Lackawanna lead to 3-1 through six frames. Johnson finished the contest allowing three runs on four hits, while walking five and striking out 10.
 
The Heartland offense would finally come alive in the seventh, as a pair of clutch hits suddenly boosted the Hawks in front at 4-3. TJ Williams started the inning with a bunt for a base hit, and took little time to swipe second. Williams would eventually steal third base as well before Ben Hartl drew a one-out walk. Moments later, Sam Antonacci lifted a high fly to center field, striking the top of the wall to score Williams and Hartl and tie the game at 3-3. Bobby Atkinson followed that with an RBI single to plate Antonacci and the Hawks took their first lead of the game at 4-3.
 
It was Jack Stellano who received the call in relief of Johnson for the remaining three innings, and the southpaw delivered. Stellano retired the side in all three frames, while registering four punch-outs. Heartland would add two insurance tallies in the eighth with two outs, as Gallien Coupet and Hartl each supplied run-scoring hits to extend the lead to 6-3.
 
The Hawks (54-5) advance to the quarterfinals of the winner's bracket, where they will battle fifth-seeded St. Johns River Community College at 4:00 pm Monday at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla.