CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—Arizona scored three runs in the top of the eighth inning to come from behind and beat fifth-seeded North Carolina, 4-3, in the final game of the Chapel Hill Super Regional on Sunday afternoon at Boshamer Stadium.
The loss prevented the Tar Heels from making their second consecutive College World Series appearance. The Wildcats will be making their 19th CWS trip and their first since 2021. Carolina’s season ends at 46-15, while Arizona advanced to Omaha with a record of 44-19.
“First thing I want to do is congratulate Arizona,” Carolina head coach Scott Forbes said afterward. “They played tough the whole weekend, obviously. We jumped on them that first game (Friday) but they’re a really good team and they’re extremely well coached. They found a way to win that game, so I want to congratulate them.
“Sports will rip your heart out sometimes, but what I’m thankful for and what our staff is most thankful for is how our players played, how they conducted themselves the entire season. They have nothing at all to hang their heads about.
They’ve represented this university, they’ve represented our program in an absolute first-class manner.”
Arizona struck first and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning when Garen Caulfield homered down the left field line.
An inning-and-a-half later in the bottom of the third, Jackson Van De Brake crushed a three-run home run to left field, driving in Kane Kepley and Carter French and making the score 3-1 Carolina after three innings.
After four scoreless frames, Arizona struck for three runs in the eighth to retake the lead. Easton Breyfogle’s bunt single and an error by Gavin Gallaher allowed Andrew Cain to score from second base to make the score 3-2 in Carolina’s favor. Shortly thereafter, Mason White’s two-run single to centerfield gave Arizona a 4-3 lead.
UNC tried to rally with walks to Van De Brake and Hunter Stokely in the bottom of the eighth, but Wildcat relievers blanked Carolina in the final six innings. Both teams managed just five hits on the day.
“Number one, I want to just congratulate North Carolina, great year,” said Arizona head coach Chip Hale. “Obviously, we’re getting the chance to move on to Omaha and move on, and we’ll see when we get there but it’s going to be hard to find a team as good as them—lineup, pitching, the way they play the game. So I want to congratulate them on a great year, and I know they’re disappointed.”
Smith Bailey started on the mound for the Wildcats and went 6.0 innings, allowing three earned runs and five hits. Julian Tonghini pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Bailey and picked up the win, improving to 5-2. Tony Pluta pitched the ninth to earn his 14th save of the season.
Ryan Lynch started for the Tar Heels and pitched well, allowing just three hits and three earned runs in 7.0 strong innings. Walker McDuffie (3-3) allowed a walk and an earned run in 0.1 relief innings to take the loss.
**********************DURHAM, N.C. – Duke baseball (41-20) fell to the Murray State Racers (43-15), 19-9 on Sunday, setting up a winner-takes-all championship game on Monday.**************************
from www.goduke.com….
Duke opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, as AJ Gracia and Ben Miller hit back-to-back home runs to ignite the crowd, 2-0. Murray State immediately responded with three runs in the bottom half, before extending the lead to 5-2 in the third.
A solo home run by Wallace Clark in the top of the third cut into the deficit, before the Racers plated five runs in the bottom of the fourth, 10-3. The Blue Devils began a furious comeback in the sixth, as Ben Rounds doubled down the line in left to score a pair, before scoring himself on a wild pitch. After a Sam Harris walk in the frame, Macon Winslow crushed a hanging breaking ball to left field to cut the lead to two.
Junior left-hander Edward Hart tossed a much-needed shutdown inning for the Blue Devils in the sixth before Murray State went on to tack on nine runs in the bottom of the seventh and extended their lead.
Tickets for game three on Monday will go on sale at 8 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Duke opened the scoring in the top of the first inning, as AJ Gracia hit a solo home run to right-center field. Ben Miller hit a solo home run to right-center field, 2-0.
Murray State took the lead in the bottom of the first inning, 3-2.
The Racers added to the lead in the bottom of the second inning, 5-2.
In the top of the third inning, Wallace Clark hit a solo home run to right center field, 5-3.
Murray State added to their lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, 10-3.
In the top of the sixth inning, Ben Rounds doubled down the line in left to score a pair. Rounds scored on a wild pitch. Macon Winslow hit a two-run home run to left field, 10-8.
The Racers added a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, 19-8.
In the top of the eighth, Rounds hit a solo home run to left center field, 19-9.
NOTES
Sophomore AJ Gracia returned from suspension on Sunday afternoon and made an immediate impact, crushing a solo home run to right center field in the first inning. Gracia finished the day 1-for-3, scoring two runs and drawing a pair of walks. With his 15th home run of the season, Gracia has now set a new career high for his time at Duke.
Graduate Ben Miller collected a 2-for-4 day at the plate, blasting his 21st home run of the season, a solo shot to right center field in the top of the first inning. Miller is now second all-time in a single season, passing Nate Freiman (2009). Miller added a pair of runs scored, drew a walk, and recorded a RBI.
UP NEXT
Duke and Murray State will play a winner-take-all game on Monday. First pitch and TV designation are to be determined.