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The Wildcats’ junior center fielder robbed North Carolina of a pair of hits — including a would-be home run — in a busy bottom of the second inning in the Super Regional opener at Boshamer Stadium.

“Just great effort,� UA coach Chip Hale said after Arizona’s 18-2 loss to UNC. “He’s a fantastic defender, a fantastic baseball player. It doesn’t matter what the score is. Whether it’s early or late, he’s going to go 120%. He’s going to run right through that wall to get a ball. We know he’s capable of making those plays all the time.�

After a strikeout to open the inning, Walton just missed making a diving catch. He got his glove on Kane Kepley’s line drive to right-center, but the ball caromed to the wall for a triple. Kepley, the Tar Heels’ leadoff hitter, went 3 for 5 with four runs scored.

After a three-run homer that was out of everybody’s reach, Walton made a diving catch in left-center to take a hit away from Gavin Gallaher, who went 4 for 5 after being named the MVP of the Chapel Hill Regional.

The next hitter, Hunter Stokely, had homered in the first inning. He launched a 2-0 pitch from Michael Hilker Jr. deep to right-center. Walton leaped over the wall to prevent Stokely from having a two-homer afternoon.

“It was an unbelievable catch,� Stokely said. “Before that one, Gavin's ball, he made an unbelievable catch, too. He’s a great center fielder.�

Said UA second baseman Garen Caulfield: “Anytime a ball is hit in the air to center field, (there’s) a pretty good chance it's being caught with him out there. I credit it to his effort in BP (batting practice). He's making those plays in BP. I don't know if anyone sees that, but he puts in a lot of work when no one's watching. We're lucky to have him out there.�

Caulfield subbed for Walton during the postgame news conference after Walton exited the game because of cramping in the bottom of the seventh.

Heaving Hilker

The weather was sauna-like in Chapel Hill on Friday, with temperatures approaching 90 degrees and the relative humidity hovering around 80%.

The conditions were particularly difficult for Hilker.

Hilker delivered 1â…” hitless innings in relief of UA starter Owen Kramkowski and was the only UA pitcher to not give up a run. But it came at a cost.

Hilker vomited twice after recording the final out of the third inning on a strikeout. He was taken out of the game at that point.

“That was a big thing when I was in pro ball. We used to have guys that would vomit, and I didn't want anybody to pull a muscle or anything like that,� Hale said. “So that's part of it. The other part of it is, he's available tomorrow. He's available on Sunday.�

Although it was stickier than the Wildcats are used to, Hale didn’t think the weather affected the team’s performance.

“I don't want to say that, because it's just an excuse,� Hale said. “We just played in Houston three weeks ago, and it was warmer; it was turf all over the field.

“I think sometimes there's some anxiety, to be frank with you, and stress that comes along with being one of the last 16 teams. Even in our pregame, you can see some guys perspiring more than they usually do. So we have to do a better job tomorrow morning of getting ourselves (ready) ... maybe backing off a little bit in BP and wearing something different so we don’t get so hot.�

Giving for the team

Hilker was one of five relievers used by ÃÛÌÒÓ°ÏñAV on Friday. Most of them haven’t pitched in high-stakes situations.

“Unfortunately, some of the guys that had to pitch at the end have not pitched a lot of innings lately, so it's tough for them,� Hale said. “They're not at their best right now, frankly. It's the back end of our bullpen.�

Senior left-hander Eric Orloff made the 89th appearance of his career, fourth most in UA history. He was trending toward a solid outing before surrendering a three-run homer to Steve Angelo in the bottom of the eighth.

“I credit (guys) like Eric Orloff,� Hale said. “He's been here for four years. He's been here since I got here. He gave it everything he has. He sucked it up so we could have other guys available for (Saturday).�

Close quarters

One of the unusual aspects of Boshamer Stadium can be found in right-center field.

The wall juts in there to accommodate , a field hockey facility built in 2018. A handful of fans watched Friday’s baseball game from the top row of the field hockey stadium, looking back over the railing.

The alteration shrunk the distance to right-center field to just 355 feet. The distance down the left field line at Arizona’s ballpark, Hi Corbett Field, is 366 feet.

Three of UNC’s four home runs were hit to right-center.

The few, the loud

UA fans formed a pocket of red and navy behind the first base dugout amid a sea of Carolina blue.

They were loud when the Wildcats did well — including Walton scoring the first run of the game after doubling and coming home on Adonys Guzman’s single — but didn’t have much to cheer about.

The UA contingent included , who’s been entertaining fans at Hi Corbett for over a decade by dancing to “Cotton Eye Joe� during pitching changes.

Leek travels to most UA road games and can be heard bellowing players’ names before and during games.

Neither bird nor plane

Arizona hadn’t lost a game since outfielder TJ Adams started handing out toys to the Wildcats’ player of the game.

The streak ended at eight Friday despite Adams introducing a twist: Instead of a toy car or other vehicle, the prize was a Superman action figure.

Adams was playing off the Super Regional theme. He’ll have to come up with an alternative Saturday.

Inside pitch

— North Carolina’s 18 runs were the most the Tar Heels have scored in a Super Regional game and the most the Wildcats have allowed.

— Friday marked the first time Arizona has lost a Super Regional opener in six appearances. They’ve won four of their previous five series, including sweeps in 2012 and '16.

— Guzman went 4 for 4, matching his UA high in hits. He went 4 for 5 at Arizona State on April 4.