USC swept in run-rule ending series finale
USC dropped the series finale against Nebraska as pitching labored in 16-6 defeat.
USC INF Dean Carpentier (6) catches a fly ball against the Vanderbilt Commodores on March 1st, 2025 at Great Park in Irvine, CA. The No. 12 USC Trojans fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers 16-6 on Sunday to complete the three-game sweep.
The Trojans suffered another pummeling over the weekend, marking the second consecutive run-rule loss of the series, after their 12-2 loss on Saturday. USC's quick start saw plenty of potential for the team, having taken an early lead with an RBI single from Jack Basseer in the first inning. But, Nebraska's response of two runs from a triple and two RBI doubles off of USC starting pitcher Andrew Johnson showed that this matchup would be a marathon.
The Trojans initially kept up with the Cornhuskers' explosive offense with a Kevin Takeuchi three-run home run sent to right field in the second inning. Augie Lopez then knocked his own home run to right field to complete the back-to-back jacks and make the score 5-2. Nebraska's Dylan Carey clubbed his twelfth home run of the season in the bottom of the third to put the Big Red behind two runs.
But the turning point for the Cornhuskers was the introduction of RHP Ty Horn in the third inning. Horn pitched five innings and gave up one run, halting USC's offense and cleared the path for Nebraska to claim the lead. Mac Moyer, the Big Ten's leader in hits and batting average, barreled a three-run homer to left field to put Nebraska up 6-5 in the fourth inning.