Every out in a baseball game is important, whether we realize it or not.
Sure, a few outs can get lost in the shuffle in the midst of 27 outs that are needed to be made, but one (or two) mistakes could prove costly for your team.
Unfortunately, the UNC baseball program found that out the hard way on Sunday afternoon.
With their season on the line, North Carolina had a nightmare top of the eighth inning, one that allowed Arizona to secure the lead for good. In this winner-take-all game, it's the Wildcats, not the No. 5 national seeded Tar Heels, heading to Omaha.
North Carolina essentially had all the momentum deep into the game. Arizona got on the board early with a solo home run off Ryan Lynch, but after that had trouble manufacturing anything against the Tar Heels freshman right-hander.
Prior to Sunday, Lynch's career-high in terms of innings pitched was five innings of work. In this game, Lynch stepped up to the occasion in a big way, pitching his way into the eighth inning.
A Jackson Van De Brake three-run homer gave North Carolina a lead that felt pretty safe given the way Lynch was throwing the baseball, but as we've all seen before, a game can shift with one costly error.
After allowing a leadoff single to start the top of the eighth, Lynch got exactly what he needed: a ground ball up the middle. Attempting to turn a double-play, Van De Brake bobbled the baseball, allowing both runners to be safe, a play that looms large in what would play out afterwards.
Scott Forbes summoned fellow freshman Walker McDuffie out of the bullpen to help get out of the jam.
The first batter he faced was Easton Breyfogle, who dropped a perfect bunt down the third base line. Gavin Gallaher fielded the ball but made a bad throw to the bag, leading to a ugly collision between Van De Brake and Breyfogle. As the ball trickled away, the lead runner scored, while the following runner made his way to third base.
McDuffie walked the next batter he faced to load the bases, but was then able to get an out via a short pop up to first base.
At that point, Forbes turned to the pen again, going to Aidan Haugh. It didn't take long for Arizona to strike, as Mason White smoked an RBI single against the shift, scoring the two runs that proved to be the difference in this one.
What a disaster inning for the UNC baseball program, one that brutally ended what was building into a special season. After absolutely dominating the Wildcats in Game 1, North Carolina was unable to replicate that success in the following two games, as this will be one of the biggest "What Ifs" that fans will talk about for quite some time.
If Van De Brake makes that play (as he normally does), it's very possible that North Carolina would be heading to Omaha.
That's, unfortunately, how baseball goes sometimes.