Dean Carpentier Hits Grand Slam, Powers Usc To Super Regional Win Over North Carolina

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Dean Carpentier popped up pinch nan biggest plaything of his life, and nan Trojans won their biggest crippled successful much than 2 decades.

USC shot stormed backmost to conclusion No. 5 wide seed North Carolina 9-5 successful Game 1 of nan Chapel Hill Super Regional, a large commencement to nan program’s first quality connected this shape since 2005.

Carpentier smoked a go-ahead expansive slam disconnected North Carolina (48-12-1) reliever Walker McDuffie successful nan sixth inning, turning a 5-2 shortage into a 6-5 lead and shutting down a antecedently charged up Boshamer Stadium. The plaything was Carpentier’s first profession expansive slam and conscionable his 10th location tally successful his 132 crippled collegiate career, nan defining infinitesimal of nan time arsenic USC (48-16) tied its largest comeback triumph of nan season.

Ace Mason Edwards struggled done his shortest outing of nan season, allowing 4 earned runs successful conscionable 3 innings pinch 4 walks. But nan Trojan bullpen picked him up, and kept nan crippled adjacent capable for nan discourtesy to rally. Chase Herrell, Ben Cushnie and Andrew Johnson allowed conscionable 1 tally complete six innings, pinch Johnson retiring nan first 8 batters he faced.

USC’s Adrian Lopez (5) celebrates during Game 1 of an NCAA ace location against North Carolina connected Friday successful Chapel Hill, N.C.

(Laura Wolff/For The Times)

Carpentier’s expansive slam momentum carried complete into nan seventh, erstwhile USC added 3 much runs. Isaac Cadena drove 1 successful pinch an RBI groundout, Jack Basseer plated 1 connected on a fielder’s prime and Andrew Lamb — who started nan scoring for USC pinch a solo location tally disconnected Ryan Lynch backmost successful nan 3rd inning — tacked connected 1 much pinch a perfectly executed compression bunt.

The Trojans person now outscored opponents 64-19 during their five-game NCAA Tournament winning streak. and are 1 triumph distant from advancing to nan College World Series for nan first clip since 2001. Game 2 is group for 11 a.m. PDT Saturday connected ESPN.