'Gut-check' Saturday win for USC comes at absolutely critical time

USC needed this one. After going on an incredible hot streak during the middle-end part of the year, the Trojans had stared a number of winnable losses in the face. The series against Washington was already lost, but there was plenty to play for on Saturday.

USC took Washington into extra innings and defeated UW at Husky Ballpark 10-4 in 10 innings. The win was important for several reasons. It ensured the Trojans stayed as the number four seed, heading into the Big Ten Tournament. It provided some assurance for a potential College World Series slot. Then, it also instilled some confidence and belief in coach Andy Stankiewicz's ball club.

There have been some close ones for USC that only become that much more frustrating with the runners on base and in scoring position who have been left out to dry.

This was something that nearly cost the Trojans again, as the visitors outhit the home team, 16 to 5. In total, there were ten runners left on base. For the day, however, USC found a way to buck a recent trend and produced a monster 10th inning to secure the final win of the regular season.

Ethan Hedges hit a three-run RBI double, and Adrian Lopez hit a home run with two Trojans on base to give USC the win.

Although the Trojans had an early lead and saw it slip away, they did enough to prevent the loss and did well to hang on until their offense got going in extras.

In what coach Stankiewicz would afterward describe as a 'gut-check,' USC passed this critical test on the day and can head into BIG post-season play with a better feeling than what they would have had as short as 24 hours ago.

Setting the tone for USC's post-season

This win is also important when considering their upcoming challenge in the tournament. With the four seed, USC will not only play Penn State on the 22nd but then also face Washington again on the 23rd of this month.

The Huskies may have taken the first two games of the series, but USC will know how close they were to grabbing either of those two outings. A good showing in Omaha, on a neutral field, anything is possible when the clock gets reset to zero following the conclusion of the regular season.