This was an unexpected role reversal.
Mason Edwards, the USC ace who had handed so many leads over to his bullpen, suddenly needing the relievers to rescue him.
That was the situation the Trojans faced Friday in their biggest game of the season.
Yanked after three innings, Edwards was visibly distraught as he watched from the dugout railing with his team trailing fifth-seeded North Carolina during the opener of their best-of-three NCAA Tournament Super Regional.
The bullpen’s collective response?
No problem. We’ve got you.
Three relievers combined to give up one run in six superb innings during the Trojans’ 9-5 comeback victory over the Tar Heels, silencing all but those wearing cardinal and gold inside Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Chase Herrell (6-4) gave up one run in two innings before Ben Cushnie recorded the first out of the sixth inning. Andrew Johnson took it from there, pitching 3 ⅔ scoreless innings to follow his breakthrough start against Texas A&M last week with his first save of the season.
“You’ve seen the job that he did over in College Station — it was a big moment, and we needed that again today,” USC coach Andy Stankiewicz told reporters after his team moved within one victory of its first trip to the College World Series since 2001. “He throws strikes and he’s not afraid, he attacks the strike zone, so we felt like he was going to make the pitches.”
The relievers’ lockdown effort allowed the Trojans’ offense to awaken with eight consecutive runs, including Dean Carpentier’s grand slam as part of a decisive five-run sixth inning.
“It was just come in, get ahead [in the count], bridge the gap and wait for our offense to do what it’s been doing this whole postseason,” Herrell said of the relievers’ mindset after Edwards had uncharacteristically struggled with his control.
The bullpen bailout was necessary after Edwards kept wobbling at the start of every inning.
Bases loaded with nobody out.
Runners on first and second with nobody out.
A leadoff walk followed by a run-scoring double.
After escaping the bases-loaded jam in the first inning, Edwards did not fare as well under similar pressure, allowing two runs in the second inning and two more in the third.
The left-hander departed after giving up four hits and four runs while striking out five and walking four. He threw only 44 of his 77 pitches for strikes after twice issuing leadoff walks.
“He made some big pitches to get out of some jams, but he wasn’t as sharp as we’ve seen him in the past,” Stankiewicz said on the ESPN2 broadcast. “His fastball was missing way up, his breaking ball wasn’t as good as it typically is, so just felt like it was time to make a move.”
It was the smartest one he made all day.
