Instant Analysis: USC Baseball beats Cal 7-4, advances to Pac-12 Championship

In this edition of Instant Analysis, USCFootball.com reporters Jack Smith and Shotgun Spratling discuss USC baseball's tense win over Cal in Scottsdale to advance to the Pac-12 Tournament championship.

The Trojans' season-high ninth-straight win, another one in which the alternative was to go home for good, got them one game closer to the promised land. The program hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2015 and is now just one more win away.

For the second straight day, the Trojans got another strong start on the mound. Friday's came from grizzled veteran Tyler Stromsborg. Stromsborg's season has been akin to the most thrilling -- or terrifying -- rollercoaster ride but he bunkered down and gave USC 6+ innings of quality pitching. The senior gave way to the bullpen with trouble brewing in the seventh inning and the men from the 'pen showed up. The Trojans limited the damage in that frame and then closer Josh Blum shut the door with two innings of work.

While its pitchers fought, the USC offense scratched and clawed for seven runs, many coming in the late innings. Led by freshman Brayden Dowd's first career home run and four total RBI, the Trojan offense answered nearly every time the Golden Bears scored en route to the three-run win.

With the win, the Trojans clinched a spot in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game. They'll take on either Arizona or Stanford on Saturday at 7 PM MST.

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