Misery loves company so it’s no surprise that UCLA Bruin baseball fans took delight in USC’s exit of the NCAA Tournament, with the Trojans bowing out after a heart-wrenching loss to North Carolina in the Super Regionals on Sunday.
Oregon and USC were the only two Big Ten Conference teams to appear in the Super Regionals, with both teams falling on the road. While the Trojans lost in heartbreak, Oregon was beaten in two-straight games by the Texas Longhorns. Oregon led 5-4 late on Sunday but the Longhorns scored twice in the top of the eighth, which was ultimately the difference in the season-ending 6-5 loss for the Ducks.
USC’s loss was more memorable. The Trojans had a winner-take-all game against the Tar Heels, with UNC trailing 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth. North Carolina drew even with a sacrifice fly against USC reliever Chase Herrell. Herrell then walked a Tar Heel batter, putting runners on first and second with two outs.
UNC’s Owen Hull lifted a fly ball deep into center field and USC outfielder Kevin Takeuchi couldn’t track it down, letting the ball fall and ending the game and the season for the Trojans. People online had differing opinions on if Takeuchi gave full effort heading back to the wall but the junior was not able to haul it in.
While UCLA will be happy to see their rivals falter, the Bruins are still licking their wounds from being bounced on their home field during the NCAA Regionals, losing twice in one weekend to Saint Mary’s.
The Super Regionals is also an indication of the landscape of college baseball, with zero Big Ten teams and five SEC schools making the College World Series. West Virginia, Troy and North Carolina join the SEC schools in pursuit of the CWS title, with the tournament continuing on Friday in Omaha.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: College baseball: USC and Oregon bounced out of the NCAA Tournament
Reporting by Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire / UCLA Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dylan McNeill, UCLA Wire | USA TODAY Network
