CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Two outs away, and then the ultimate pain.
USC baseball’s 25-year College World Series drought continued Sunday with an agonizing 4-3 loss to No. 5 seed North Carolina in Game 3 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional after the Tar Heels scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.
USC (48-18) nearly forced extra innings when Owen Hull hit a 2-0 pitch into the left-field corner in foul territory, but the ball fell between three Trojans. Hull then lined the next pitch into the gap in left-center field for a walk-off double to send the Tar Heels to Omaha in a heartbreaking, season-ending loss for USC.
The Trojans took a 3-2 lead to the bottom of the ninth and even got the first out. USC reliever Adam Troy then walked North Carolina third baseman Cooper Nicholson before falling behind 3-0 to nine-hole hitter Carter French, leading USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz to make a pitching change mid at-bat.
He went to Chase Herrell, and French lined a 3-2 single through the right side. Jake Schaffner tied the game on a sacrifice fly.
USC failed to capitalize on a heroic start from pitcher Andrew Johnson, who gave up seven hits and two earned runs while striking out four and walking two over 7⅔ innings.
Kevin Takeuchi and Andrew Lamb hit solo home runs for the Trojans in the fourth and fifth innings, but the Trojans squandered scoring opportunities with runners in scoring position in the seventh and ninth innings.
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