USC walks off Washington in Big Ten Tournament

OMAHA, Neb. — Down to the very last out while trailing by a run, USC capped their Big Ten Tournament appearance in dramatic fashion with a game-winning two-run double by Adrian Lopez, securing a 6-5 victory over Washington. 

This win was much needed after USC took a tough 2-1 loss to Penn State on Thursday. 

The Trojans came in as the top seed in their pool, but after going 1-1, it will be up to the NCAA Selection Committee to see if they make the NCAA Tournament. Luckily for USC, this thrilling win certainly helps their case. 

Lopez, a sophomore transfer from LBSU, has been nothing short of fantastic this season for USC. The sophomore leads the team with 21 doubles, boasts a .337 batting average, and is second on the team in RBI with 49.  

USC appeared to be in control early, holding a 3-0 lead through the first five innings. Left-hander Mason Edwards was cruising through his start, but ran into trouble in the sixth, when Washington chased him from the game and erupted for five runs—highlighted by a two-run homer from right fielder Jackson Hotchkiss. Edward’s final line for the game was 5.2 innings with three earned runs and six strikeouts.  

Fortunately for USC, Brayden Dowd quickly responded with a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth to keep momentum on their side. 

The win was credited to none other than Ethan Hedges, who pitched a scoreless ninth before scoring the winning run after sliding head first and beating out a tag at home plate. After walking the first batter, Hedges induced a ground ball for a double play and struck the next batter out. One could say Hedges is a bit of a unicorn as he has a 2.25 ERA to go along with his 12 home runs and 55 RBI. 

Hedge’s outstanding two-way performance hasn’t gone unnoticed—he was recently named one of ten semifinalists for the John Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award.

Although they lost the first pool play match against Penn State on Thursday, USC had a standout pitching performance from Caden Aoki. 

Over the last couple of months, Aoki has sprinkled some brilliant performances for the Trojans, and today was a little more of the same. He allowed a run in the first inning, but that would be the only mark on what was a dominant outing. Aoki threw seven innings total and struck out seven in what could be his final start for the Trojans. 

Unfortunately for Aoki, the offense couldn’t seem to get in rhythm. 

The Trojans quickly responded to Penn State’s early run, tying the game in the bottom of the second with a Brayden Down RBI single. But that would be all the offense could muster, as the bats went quiet for the remainder of the game. 

The score was tied at one run apiece for the entirety of the game, until Penn State catcher Nate Voss hit a solo shot off right-hander Andrew Johnson in the top of the ninth. Penn State righty Chase Renner then sealed the win for the Nittany Lions, retiring the Trojans in order in the bottom half of the inning to punch Penn State’s ticket to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.

The Trojans had a dominant stretch towards the latter portion of the season, winning eight series in a row. However, after splitting a win and a loss in the Big Ten Tournament, USC can only wait and see if they are selected for the NCAA Tournament. 

The NCAA Selection Show will be on Monday at 9 a.m. PT.