As snow fell steadily across Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Illinois, the Wildcats rallied in the bottom of the ninth to secure a walk-off win over No. 25 USC, handing the Trojans their first loss of the season and ending their historic start.
The Trojans entered the final game of a doubleheader against Northwestern looking to make history. After tying the 1955 team’s program record with a 19–0 start in game two earlier in the day, the 2026 team hoped to extend its undefeated run.
The odds were stacked against USC from the start, with only 45 minutes between games in the doubleheader. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Johnson delivered a strong outing in the latter game, pitching a season-high 7.1 innings and striking out nine batters, but was still charged with his first loss of the season.
Northwestern struck early when senior outfielder Jack Lausch opened the game with a double on a 0–1 count. Two outs later, freshman catcher Nick Barron lifted a pop-up toward third base that fell untouched, allowing Lausch to score and give the Wildcats their first run against USC in twelve innings.
As the snowfall intensified across the field, USC’s momentum began to dwindle. Temperatures hovered around thirty degrees in Evanston, and at one point, the snow was falling so heavily that players struggled to see the ball.
Before the conditions worsened, the Trojans had already struggled to rally. USC finished with just three hits and seven walks, but could not bring those runners home. It also marked the first time this season that the Trojans trailed after six innings.
Even one of USC’s most consistent hitters struggled at the plate. Junior outfielder Kevin Takeuchi, who had hit safely in 15 consecutive games, failed to record a hit and struck out once.
In the eighth, junior outfielder Andrew Lamb hit a no-out triple, sparking some life back into the Trojans. Junior first baseman Adrian Lopez hit a sacrifice fly into right field, bringing Lamb home.
The Trojans briefly carried that momentum into the bottom of the eighth, stranding the bases, making freshman right-handed pitcher Gavin Lauridsen responsible for keeping the game tied.
But the Wildcats answered in the ninth. A base hit from Barron and a groundout from sophomore second baseman Logan de Groot pushed the winning run across the plate, sealing Northwestern’s walk-off victory in the snowy finish.
Despite having the superior record overall, USC is now third in the Big Ten Conference, right behind No. 1 UCLA (16–2) and Nebraska (14–5) due to its conference record.
They look to start a new winning streak on Tuesday, March 17, against San Diego State at 6:30 p.m. back at Dedeaux Field.