'Flush it': Arizona ready to move past blowout loss to UNC in Super Regional opener
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Chip Hale gathered his team in right field after Arizona’s Super Regional opener against North Carolina and delivered a simple and necessary message:
“Just flush it.”
That was the only choice the Wildcats had as their season edged to the precipice.
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Arizona struggled from the mound and couldn’t take advantage of traffic on the bases in an 18-2 loss to No. 5 national seed North Carolina at sweltering Boshamer Stadium on Friday, June 6.
The Wildcats now face a win-or-go-home scenario on June 7. They’ll have to win two in a row to upset the Tar Heels and advance to the College World Series.
North Carolina (46-13) has lost back-to-back games only once this season — March 16 and 19 vs. Louisville and UConn.
“Flush it and move on,” Hale said. “It’s single elimination now. We've been in that in the Big 12 Tournament. We just gotta play our best game tomorrow.
“It's a three-game series. Obviously we don't like the score. It doesn't feel good, 18-2. But it's just one loss.”
Hale noted that Arizona (42-19) has lost openers this season before coming back to win those series. It has happened three times: at home vs. Oklahoma State, at BYU and at Houston.
"Obviously not the best first game," Hale said. "But it’s one game in a three-game series, which is the beauty of baseball. We’re not in uncharted waters."
Senior second baseman Garen Caulfield seemed ready to dive into that challenge.
Moving past Game 1
“You just get back to the hotel, you get some fluids in you, get a good meal and get in bed early,” Caulfield said. “That's all you can do right now. And just hope everyone can focus up tomorrow morning.
“You can't put too much importance on one game, I've learned. It was just a baseball game today. There's another baseball game tomorrow. Obviously our back’s against the wall.”
The Super Regional opener was uncharacteristic in several respects. Arizona allowed a season-high 18 runs after yielding 16 during the eight-game winning streak that ended June 6. The Wildcats surrendered four home runs, the most in 120 games under pitching coach Kevin Vance.
A chunk of that damage came against pitchers who aren’t often used in high-leverage situations as the game got away and Arizona saved its top arms for what’s to come.
The first eight runs came against UA starter Owen Kramkowski, who was off from the jump. Kramkowski hit the first batter he faced and walked the second — just the 16th free pass he’d issued in 17 starts.
Three batters later, UNC’s Hunter Stokely took Kramkowski over the wall in right field for a three-run homer. A 1-0 Arizona lead quickly became a 5-1 deficit.
“It’s awesome. It changes the game,” UNC starter Jake Knapp said. “It kills the momentum that they have right away and allows me to settle in in a big game, big environment.”
Another three-run bomb — following another walk — off the bat of Luke Stevenson made it 8-1 in the second and ended Kramkowski’s afternoon.
Kramkowski’s outing lasted just 1⅓ innings — his shortest since his first start of the season. This appearance mirrored that one, which lasted just two-thirds of an inning and came against another NCAA Tournament host from the ACC, Clemson.
“He was center-cut a lot,” Hale said. “It was a little bit reminiscent of ... his first start. His stuff wasn't bad, it's just the location.
“You look up and down their lineup, they're veteran guys who know how to hit. They got short swings. They're going to take advantage of bad locations. And the first batter getting hit by the cutter in, I think that threw him off a little too.”
The deficit grew against the bullpen and became too much to overcome — especially against Knapp, the ACC Pitcher of the Year.
Arizona recorded nine hits against Knapp — three more than he had allowed in any game this season. But Knapp limited the top three hitters in the Wildcats’ order — Brendan Summerhill, Aaron Walton and Mason White — to a combined 1 for 12. Overall, Knapp held Arizona to two runs in seven-plus innings.
Missed opportunity
The Wildcats had a chance to make it a competitive game in the second when Andrew Cain, Tommy Splaine and Easton Breyfogle singled in consecutive at-bats to load the bases with one out. But the rally was squelched when Summerhill grounded into a double play for just the second time this season.
“Jake will tell you he wasn't like Jake Knapp A-plus sharpness,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “But he's always A-plus competitiveness. That's why he's our Friday guy.
“They were staying short to the ball. They were having good at-bats. But ... great pitchers make big pitches in the biggest situations. They have a knack for that. They're better in the tougher situations. And he had two really tough ones to get out of.”
Arizona loaded the bases again in the top of the fourth with the score still 8-1. Caulfield singled. Then Cain and Splaine got hit by pitches.
Breyfogle swung at the first pitch he saw and hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Caulfield. Knapp then retired Summerhill on a flyout and Walton on a groundout.
Two bases-loaded situations. One run for Arizona against Knapp.
“The first couple innings felt outstanding,” Caulfield said. “Just credit that to the staff and the plan we put together for him. Obviously, we knew he was one of the best pitchers in the country, and for the right reasons.”
Knapp’s ability to keep the top three batters off the bases was critical; cleanup hitter Adonys Guzman went 4 for 4.
“The rest of them did some damage,” Knapp said. “Those guys are really good at the top, and they set the tone for that offense. But Coach Gaines (pitching coach Bryant Gaines) had a really good plan, especially for those guys.
“I didn't do my job executing through the rest of the lineup. It's a really good team, a really offensive team, and Jason (DeCaro) will have to make his pitches tomorrow. They'll make adjustments. I was just happy to at least get a couple guys out.”
DeCaro (9-3, 3.50 ERA) is scheduled to face fellow right-hander Raul Garayzar (2-0, 2.54 ERA) in Game 2 on June 7. Hale suggested the Wildcats might alter their pregame routine after some players were negatively affected by the extreme humidity in Chapel Hill.
Regardless, they need Garayzar to be at his best.
“Their offense was tremendous today. Hopefully we'll do something to shut them down tomorrow,” Hale said.
“Our pitchers have picked us up so big all year. It was just one bad one. That’s the way it goes.”
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Flush it': Arizona ready to move past blowout loss to UNC in Super Regional opener
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