Jason DeCaro threw a complete-game shutout to help the Diamond Heels beat USC 4-0 in Game 2 of the NCAA Super Regionals at Boshamer Stadium Saturday. Carolina has now forced a winner-take-all Game 3 to be played Sunday.
“Jason DeCaro, since the day he walked on campus, since the day he trusted us and gave up his high school senior year, he’s been nothing but phenomenal,” head coach Scott Forbes said after the game. “Saved that biggest CG for a big, big moment… we were joking last night that we were gonna make it go three games so we could make a little bit more money with concessions.”
DeCaro threw a career-high 117 pitches in the effort, allowing just four total baserunners (two hits, one walk and a hit batsman) and striking out eight Trojans. He did not allow a USC runner to advance past first base.
“It took me a little bit to settle in today,” said DeCaro, who hadn’t thrown more than five innings in a game since April 23. “But after the third inning… I came back in the dugout and told Coach [Bryant] Gaines that I felt way better right there than I did in the first two.”
DeCaro had allowed a baserunners in each of the first three innings, but allowed only two in the remaining six. He ended the game by retiring 10 consecutive Trojan batters, striking out USC’s Kevin Takeuchi to put a bow on his masterpiece.
“It felt like almost every count was 0-1,” said catcher Colin Hynek. “He really locked in as the game went on. At that point, when J’s on, it’s hard to do anything against him.”
DeCaro had never thrown a nine-inning complete game in his collegiate career, but got the call in the bottom of the ninth to the delight of the Boshamer Stadium crowd.
“Before that ninth inning,” DeCaro said, “Coach Gaines came up to me and he was like, ‘You’re in control. So pitch like it.'”
Solo home runs from Hynek and Erik Paulsen gave DeCaro all the run support he needed, and sacrifice flies from Rom Kellis in the sixth and Macon Winslow in the seventh padded the lead. UNC could very well have tacked on more runs, but struggled mightily with runners in scoring position. Diamond Heel hitters batted 3-17 with runners on base and 0-9 with runners in scoring position. Carolina also loaded the bases four separate times but failed to score in any of those instances.
“We’ve left quite a few guys on base,” Hynek said, “but we’re not gonna put too much stock into that. We’re not gonna let that get in our heads. We know that we’re talented, we know that we’re more than capable of doing that. We’re a couple swings away from breaking this game open, and might as well save them for tomorrow.”
The Diamond Heels now have 49 wins this season, which is a program record in Forbes’ six years in charge. Sunday’s winner-take-all Game 3 of the NCAA Super Regional is scheduled for 3 p.m.
Featured image via Chapel Hill Media Group/Chance Bragg
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