CHAPEL HILL — After two weather delays that didn’t contain rain turned Sunday into an endurance test of more than six hours, North Carolina baseball couldn’t keep its season alive.
Arkansas scored twice in the bottom of the ninth inning, and won 4-3 on Brady Slavens’ walk-off single in the second game of the NCAA Tournament super regional at Boshamer Stadium.
The visiting Razorbacks (43-19) advanced to the College World Series with a sweep of the host Tar Heels (42-22).
“Wow, what a battle,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said, amid emotional postgame comments from the Tar Heels. “Two great teams.”
North Carolina had to have a victory in order to force the best-of-3 series to a winner-take-all Monday night matchup and extend its season. And for a moment, however unlikely, it appeared Patrick Alvarez had delivered in exceedingly clutch form.
The sophomore Alvarez, hitting just .121 on the season, served a run-scoring single with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, moving UNC ahead 3-2. Tomas Frick doubled to start the inning, and Alvarez broke through with his first RBI since Feb. 20.
“That was really cool, and you feel like you’re going to win that game when that happens,” Forbes said.
'It'll rip your heart out': Season-ending emotions hit UNC baseball in NCAA super regional loss to Arkansas
Big bat missing: UNC baseball without Mac Horvath for Game 2 of NCAA super regional due to appendectomy
Here we go again: UNC baseball in familiar spot, unafraid with ‘backs against the wall’ in NCAA super regional
Plenty of perspective: What UNC baseball coach Scott Forbes is taking from suspension into NCAA super regional
UNC used Mikey Madej’s single, a plunked batter in the form of Tomas Frick, Johnny Castagnozzi’s sacrifice bunt, pinch hitter Eric Grintz’s RBI groundout and a wild pitch by Arkansas reliever Brady Tygart to tie the score at 2-2 in the seventh inning.
Madej extended his hitting streak to 16 games. North Carolina scored its only run during Saturday’s opener in the eighth inning, and the Tar Heels again didn’t break through until late in Sunday’s game.
Then, Vance Honeycutt delivered another defensive gem. The UNC star freshman charged into shallow center field, laid out and went full extension for a diving catch to prevent Arkansas from pushing across the go-ahead run. That ended the seventh inning and kept the score 2-2, as Madej squatted in left field with a stunned reaction at Honeycutt’s heroics.
Jalen Battles lined a two-out, run-scoring double in the fourth inning as Arkansas broke through a scoreless tie and went ahead 1-0. An inning later, Braydon Webb launched a solo homer and the Razorbacks led 2-0.
Tar Heels starter Brandon Schaeffer pitched into the fifth. He threw 36 pitches before sitting through the game’s first lightning delay, which lasted an hour and 46 minutes. UNC turned the game over to Gage Gillian and Davis Palermo out of the bullpen.
North Carolina didn’t have Mac Horvath on Sunday due to an appendectomy. The third baseman had started all 63 games this season. He had emergency appendectomy surgery on Saturday night, hours after the Tar Heels dropped the opener.
Castagnozzi filled in at third base for UNC, a position he never had played in a college game. Castagnozzi typically has appeared at first base or second base.
Big Four and More: Ready to read more on the ACC and college sports? Join our ‘Big Four and More’ newsletter that’s delivered right to your email
Adam Smith is a sports reporter for the Burlington Times-News and USA TODAY Network. You can reach him by email at asmith@thetimesnews.com or @adam_smithTN on Twitter.
Take advantage of our $1 for 6 months sale on digital subscriptions. For special offers, click here.
This article originally appeared on Times-News: UNC baseball suffers season-ending loss on Arkansas walk-off in Game 2 of super regional
