USC defeats UNC baseball, 9-5, to open Chapel Hill Super Regional

A standing ovation at Boshamer Stadium ushered Ryan Lynch into the dugout when he finally stepped off the mound Friday.

The sophomore starter had just delivered a gem through five innings, but was beginning to fade in the top of the sixth. He’d allowed three straight singles, but followed that with two outs on a grounder and a strikeout looking. And so he was welcomed by raucous applause when he stepped away and handed the keys over to Walker McDuffie — UNC’s go-to-reliever — to, hopefully for the Tar Heels, get the final out of the inning.

But anyone who watches college baseball this time of year knows how fast these things can change.

On a hanging slider from McDuffie in the sixth, USC’s Dean Carpentier launched a grand slam — the first allowed by UNC all season and the first of Carpentier’s career — to help lift Southern Cal to a come-from-behind 9-5 victory in Game 1 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.

“I mean, once the ball got hit, everybody just started losing it from that point on,” said USC pitcher Chase Herrell. “It was just like, we’re winning this game, like the vibes are amazing. Everybody just knew, and we just kept pulling the rope more and more.”

Southern Cal followed up that seismic, five-run sixth inning with three more runs in the seventh inning. North Carolina’s offense was almost the inverse: after going 7-for-13 from the plate in the first five innings, the Tar Heels were 3-of-17 the rest of the way.

UNC’s Jake Schaffner, Owen Hull and Erik Paulsen each recorded two hits — accounting for six of the nine Tar Heel hits Friday — but it wasn’t enough to get the job done.

Combined with an uncharacteristically poor night from their pitching staff, the Tar Heels now need two straight wins to claim the best-of-three series and advance to the College World Series.

“The game can flip. That’s the beauty of baseball, but the beauty of a super regional is it’s a three-game series,” UNC coach Scott Forbes said. “and we’re trying to win the three-game series. This ain’t the first time we’ve lost. So I told the guys, move on, flush it... I’m excited to get a good night’s rest and wake up tomorrow and get back at it.”

USC went from down 5-2 to up 6-5 with the swing of Carpentier’s bat in the top of the sixth inning — one of five runs the Trojans scored that frame. It marked Carpentier’s fourth home run of the year and McDuffie’s third homer allowed all season. McDuffie has only given up two home runs, including this one, since February 22.

McDuffie has solidified himself as UNC’s go-to reliever, earning second-team All-ACC honors this season and posting a 2.94 ERA entering Friday. But he struggled against USC, allowing four earned runs on four hits.

And Lynch’s seven strikeouts on Friday — a single-game postseason record for the sophomore — will be certainly be diminished in the stat sheet by the six hits and four runs allowed.

“We trust our pitchers,” UNC first baseman Erik Paulsen said. “They’re studs. They’ve had our backs all year. They’ve gotten us out of bad situations at the plate, so we still trust them, no matter what happened today.”

Lynch’s seven strikeouts on Friday — a single-game postseason record for the sophomore — will be diminished in the statsheet by the six hits and four runs allowed.

Senior right-handed pitcher Matthew Matthijs came in to relieve McDuffie in the top of the seventh, but was quickly replaced by freshman lefty Jackson Rose — who held the Trojans scoreless in the top of the eighth and ninth innings.

Meanwhile, USC’s pitchers were dealing late into the game.

Mason Edwards, the Southern Cal ace who ranks among the best pro prospects in this NCAA Tournament, left a bit to be desired with his start — allowing four runs on four hits through three innings. But USC’s Herrell, Ben Cushnie and Andrew Johnson picked up the slack and held the Tar Heels to one run after the third inning.

North Carolina has come back from a deficit of four runs twice this season, but Friday would not be the third time.

The Trojans retired 10 straight UNC batters entering the ninth inning. The Tar Heels recorded two singles in the final frame, but also grounded into a double play, and walked away empty-handed.

UNC will look to rebound in Game 2 of the Chapel Hill Super Regional, which will take place Saturday at Boshamer Stadium at 2 p.m.

A USC win would move the Trojans to the College World Series. UNC needs a win to force the deciding Game 3 on Sunday.

The Tar Heels have never advanced to Omaha after dropping Game 1 of the Super Regionals, but they’ll look to flip that script Saturday.

“I just reminded them, have that short memory and move on,” Forbes said. “Your family’s here. Be present. Don’t go pout about it. Hang out with them, and then come in here tomorrow and just play.”

This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 6:26 PM with the headline "USC defeats UNC baseball, 9-5, to open Chapel Hill Super Regional."