No. 5 North Carolina pounced on visiting Arizona early in an 18-2 victory in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional in the NCAA baseball tournament on Friday.
The Tar Heels (46-13) capitalized on the Wildcats' (42-19) shaky pitching in the first inning. Arizona starter Owen Kramkowski allowed two baserunners with a hit by pitch and a walk to open the bottom of the first inning. Two singles from Luke Stevenson and Gavin Gallaher followed by a Hunter Stokely three-run homer quickly made the game 5-1.
North Carolina stretched its lead to seven runs with a three-run shot from Stevenson in the second inning, then manufactured two more runs in the fourth inning for a 10-2 lead.
After more RBI singles and a pair of homers by Sam Angelo and Kane Kepley in the eighth inning, the North Carolina