CHAPEL HILL, – Mason White’s two-run single capped a three-run eighth inning, lifting Arizona to a 4-3 victory over North Carolina on Sunday, advancing the Wildcats to their 19th Men’s College World Series appearance.
Arizona (44-19) lost the first game of the Chapel Hill Super Regional 18-2 to the fifth-seeded Tar Heels (46-15), before winning 10-8 on Saturday and rallying on Sunday.
The Wildcats, who last competed in the MCWS in 2021, will face Coastal Carolina in Omaha, Nebraska, later this week.
The final game belonged to the pitchers, as both teams managed only five hits.
Arizona’s starter, Smith Bailey, allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. Two of the hits were singles before Jackson Van De Brake’s home run in the third inning. Julian Tonghini (5-2) threw a perfect seventh, Casey Hintz allowed two walks in a scoreless eighth, and Tony Pluta faced three batters in the ninth to earn his 14th save.
In the second inning, Garen Caulfield hit a solo home run to give Arizona a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats only had one hit after that, when Andrew Cain singled to start the eighth inning.
Before Walker McDuffie took over for starter Ryan Lynch, two runners were on base due to an error. That is when Easton Breyfogle beat out a bunt to third, and Cain scored when the third baseman threw it away.
A walk loaded the bases before McDuffie (3-3) made an out with an infield fly. White took the lead against reliever Aidan Haugh with a single up the middle.
Arizona is making the finals for the fifth time since winning its third national championship in 1986. The Wildcats won in 1976, 1980, and 2012.
North Carolina failed to advance to the MCWS for the third time in ten super regionals that the Tar Heels hosted.