USC Pitcher Faces Tough Times in Game 2

After escaping a jam with one out and the bases loaded in the third inning, USC pitcher Grant Goebel joyfully bounded back into the dugout. In the fifth, he found himself in another tough position—two on and one out—and celebrated after completing a double play. But then things took a downturn for the Trojans.

During Game 2 of the NCAA Tournament Super Regional against fifth-seeded North Carolina, the Trojans’ bullpen, previously solid, faltered. They ended up conceding three runs, leading to a frustrating 4-0 defeat, leaving Game 3 on Sunday to determine the outcome.

Goebel (10-3) was saddled with the loss despite a commendable performance, allowing just one run from a Colin Hynek home run over five solid innings. USC coach Andy Stankiewicz commended Goebel for hanging tough under pressure.

In the third inning, Goebel’s fourth pitch was high, resulting in a pop-up foul. He then struck out Hynek to conclude the inning. Later, with one out and runners on first and third in the fifth, he successfully executed a double play, escaping another threat.

“We did a great job of minimizing the potential for a big inning,” Stankiewicz remarked to reporters. “Despite some trouble, we made key pitches. It was crucial, and we had pop-ups.” His sentiment reflects the tension of the game, where every pitch mattered.

However, when USC relief pitcher Sax Matson entered in the sixth, everything changed. He surrendered a home run to North Carolina’s Erik Paulsen on just his third pitch, putting the Tar Heels up 2-0.

Then, things went south for Matson. After Hynek singled and subsequently doubled, Matson accidentally hit Tyler Howe in the face with a pitch, though Howe managed to reach first base. Following some sacrifice bunts, the Tar Heels scored again, pushing the lead to 3-0.

Matson gave up yet another run in the seventh, as Gavin Laurissen took over, only to have a hit place runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly then extended the advantage to 4-0—far more cushion than the North Carolina ace, Jason DeCaro, required. He threw a shutout and permitted just five baserunners, with one reaching base due to an error. The Trojans couldn’t manage to get a runner into scoring position all game.

It could have been a worse scenario for USC. North Carolina left 13 runners stranded and was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring positions. Stankiewicz hinted that the bullpen would get another opportunity, mentioning they might adopt a pitch-by-committee strategy in the decisive Game 3.