Freshman pitcher Moss shows growth on the mound

GREENSBORO — Before every inning he pitches, Benton Moss takes off his hat, turns away from home plate and squats down for a little prayer.

Written inside his cap is his favorite Bible verse, 2 Timothy 4:7.

It reads: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

Moss said the words keep him centered and calm. And on Tuesday, the freshman certainly fought a good fight.

Matched up against Moss, UNC-Greensboro’s leadoff batters reached base in each of the first four innings Tuesday, applying constant pressure on the righthander.

In the first inning, the Spartans reached second base. In the second and third innings, they put runners on first and second. And in the fourth inning, they had them full.

But the one base they couldn’t reach off of Moss is the one that matters most: home plate.

“I don’t think he had the best stuff to start the game. (He) couldn’t locate his breaking ball,” coach Mike Fox said. “But I mean, he gave us a chance to win, and they left some runners out there, so he made some big pitches when he had to.”

Moss scattered four hits, hit two batters and survived a pair of Tar Heel errors as he navigated through 5.2 shutout innings in UNC’s 5-1 win.

For Moss, that makes 14 straight scoreless frames after his 8.1 innings of 3-hit ball against Elon last week, and it shows a marked improvement over the beginning of his UNC career.

In his first two starts, Moss couldn’t even qualify for wins. He lasted just one inning in his debut and left in the middle of the fourth against St. John’s on Feb. 28.

“The first two starts — I hate to admit it — but you know, everybody gets nervous,” Moss said. “But I feel like I’m starting to settle in. I just gotta keep improving. I know I’m a freshman, but that shouldn’t be an excuse.”

And much of that improvement has come through the way Moss’ handles crises on the mound.

“Just like coach (Scott) Forbes is telling me, ‘Every single time, no matter what happens, it’s done,’” Moss said. “So that’s all I thought about. Just make one pitch at a time. Don’t try to look ahead … just pitch.”

And with that mentality, Moss was able to survive some potentially game-changing jams Tuesday.

In the third inning, Moss faced what was perhaps his greatest challenge of the night.

With runners on first and second and just one out, Spartan cleanup batter Trevor Edwards came to the plate and made Moss sweat with every pitch.

Edwards is the greatest power threat on the Spartans, tallying seven home runs so far this season. Down by two runs, a long ball would’ve given UNC Greensboro the lead.

But Moss held tough even as Edwards worked the count full.

After fouling off three consecutive payoff-pitch fastballs, Moss was able to buckle Edward’s knees with a curveball that floated untouched across home plate for strike three.

“It was a gutsy call by coach, but I feel he had just enough confidence in me to throw it,” Moss said. “And I just took a deep breath and sat back and said, ‘Alright, you know what, be aggressive with it.’ And it worked out for the best.”

It didn’t get easier for Moss in the next inning, as he had to wiggle his way out of a bases-loaded jam. But he escaped, and after another 1.2 innings of fairly painless work, he also escaped with his second win of the season.

While Moss certainly flashed some precocious talent Tuesday, he said his faith may have had a role to play, too.

“It definitely calms me down because I know that somebody else is behind me,” Moss said. “I know it’s not about what I can do, it’s about what I can do through Him.”

And as he showed Tuesday, Moss can do quite a bit.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@dailytarheel.com.