CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – A few solo homeruns from North Carolina and a defensive shutout earned the Tar Heels a 4-0 victory against the Southern California Trojans Saturday afternoon to force a game three of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
North Carolina (49-12-1, 22-8 ACC) earned its first NCAA Tournament victory over Southern California, advancing to the fifth winner-take-all game three in program history at the Super Regional round. Jason DeCaro pitched a full nine innings of shutout play marking the first time a North Carolina pitcher has done so since Brandon Schaeffer against Virginia Tech in 2022. The team’s shutout performance is their fifth of the season.
In the first few innings of play, the Tar Heels started making contact with the ball against starting Southern California pitcher Grant Govel. Many of those contacts resulted in fly outs. Colin Hynek made contact in his first at bat of the game and left the yard with a solo shot to left field putting North Carolina ahead 1-0 in the top of the second.
The North Carolina defense held strong in the first few innings of play fielding multiple fly balls and in-field choppers. The backbone of the Tar Heel defense, Gavin Gallaher, continued to make impressive stops to halt the offensive attempts from Southern California. Jason DeCaro, starting pitcher for the Tar Heels, limited the Trojans to just one hit through three innings of play.
DeCaro continued to dish in the bottom of the fifth recording two strikeouts against the Trojans.
With a total of 83 pitches, Southern California’s Govel exited the game and Sax Matson entered. At the top of the sixth, the Tar Heel bats got hot once again with another solo home run courtesy of Erik Paulsen, his 11th of the season, putting Carolina ahead 2-0. The 339 foot bomb was just the second home run Matson had allowed all season.
Matson would put two more Heels aboard with zero outs after allowing a hit and then hitting Tyler Howe on the pitch. Cooper Nicholson laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance runners. Rom Kellis V then flew out to left field to score Hynek from third. North Carolina held a 3-0 lead in the top of the sixth.
The Trojans continued to put the ball in play, but the stealthy Carolina defense continued to answer, recording out after out. In the bottom of the sixth, third baseman Nicholson fielded a hard struck ball down the line and turned it to first to retire the Trojans.
The Tar Heels continued the offensive pace in the top of the seventh. With a four pitch walk gifted to Gallaher, the Trojans made its third pitching change of the day. Relief pitcher Gavin Lauridsen entered the game and immediately allowed a base hit from Owen Hull to right field advancing Gallaher to advance to third. In the attempt to throw Gallaher out, Hull advanced to second with no outs. Macon Winslow stepped up to the plate and hit a flyout to right field to bring Gallaher across home. Carolina left the seventh ahead 4-0.
Southern California never found an answer for the Tar Heels on the mound after attempts with four different pitchers. DeCaro delivered two more strikeouts in the bottom of the eighth to keep the Trojans off the board.
In the final inning of play, the UNC defense produced another three up, three down frame to seal the 4-0 victory. DeCaro added yet another strikeout bringing his total to eight on the day, and 84 over the course of the season.
North Carolina will return to the dirt of Bryson Field at Boshamer Stadium for the final time this season on Sunday to face the Trojans. The rubber match will determine who punches their ticket to Omaha. Game time and television designation will be announced at a later time after the conclusion of today’s games.
