The USC Trojans’ bats had been on fire over the past week.

They scored an impressive 19 runs against Lamar, 15 against Texas State, and a total of 21 in consecutive wins over Texas A&M.

Yet, they hadn’t encountered a test quite like this one.

For the first five innings, the Trojans were unusually silent, trailing by four runs against a North Carolina team that had not been defeated all season when leading by multiple runs. It seemed their magical run might hit a wall in the NCAA Tournament.

Then came a sixth inning that surpassed anything they had achieved before.

Nine players stepped to the plate. Six reached base.

And with one swing, Dean Carpentier etched his name into USC baseball lore.

Carpentier’s grand slam sparked the Trojans’ offense during a 9-5 come-from-behind victory over the Tar Heels in a Super Regional on Friday in Chapel Hill, N.C.

The decisive inning started with three consecutive singles off North Carolina starter Ryan Lynch, including Kevin Takeuchi’s run-scoring bloop single that fell inside the left-field line.

Lynch retired the next two batters before the Tar Heels turned to hard-throwing reliever Walker McDuffie, who walked Andrew Lamb on a full count to load the bases.

That brought up Carpentier, who hammered an 0-and-1 slider onto the roof of a building beyond the left-field wall to give the Trojans (48-16) a 6-5 lead. They added three runs in the seventh to put themselves one victory away from their first College World Series appearance since 2001.

By scoring the game’s final eight runs, USC wiped away a rare clunker of a start by ace Mason Edwards. In his shortest outing of the season, the left-hander gave up four runs in three innings before the bullpen allowed just one run over the final six innings.

What it means

In its first Super Regional appearance since 2005, USC provided a reminder of the postseason power of the most decorated program in college baseball history.

The Trojans have won a record 12 College World Series titles and are now on the verge of their 22nd appearance in the event.

Turning point

Entering the sixth inning, USC’s vaunted postseason offense had gone limp.

Managing just one run on Andrew Lamb’s solo homer leading off the third inning, the Trojans were getting manhandled by Lynch.

It looked like more of the same when Adrian Lopez fell behind 0-and-2 in the count. After taking two balls, Lopez ripped a single to center. Augie Lopez (no relation) followed with a single to right before Takeuchi’s RBI single brought home a run to start the Trojans’ five-run rally capped by Carpentier’s grand slam.

MVP: Dean Carpentier

Not exactly known for his power, Carpentier blasted a no-doubt grand slam that gave the No. 8 hitter only his fourth homer of the season and his first career grand slam.

Did you see that?

The crowd at Boshamer Stadium included former North Carolina men’s basketball coach Roy Williams and new coach Michael Malone.

Up next

These teams will meet again in Game 2 at 11 a.m. PT Saturday. The game will be broadcast by ESPN.

A man from Washington state has been taken into custody following allegations of murdering his 4-year-old son and concealing the child’s body beneath his residence.

Jacob Bevins, aged 36, faces multiple charges including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, illegal disposal of remains, and providing false information to authorities, as reported by FOX 13 Seattle.

Law enforcement officers in Aberdeen initially encountered Jacob Bevins on May 12 during the investigation of his 6-year-old daughter’s disappearance, according to the news source.

The child’s body, identified as Aiden Scott Bevins, was tragically discovered after being missing for nearly a year.

Though the authorities located the young girl safely with her mother, they observed the absence of Aiden Bevins, who was just 4 years old at the time.

Jacob Bevins initially told investigators the boy was with family in another state, but relatives denied having seen the child, FOX 13 reported.

During subsequent questioning, the father admitted to striking the 4-year-old on the head and killing him, local outlet KING 5 reported. He later changed his story, claiming he was chasing his son to the bathroom and he fell and hit his head.

The child’s remains were found by authorities underneath the house. (KDFW)

Remains belonging to the child, who had been missing for about a year, were found May 15inside a garbage bag underneath the house, according to the outlet.

“My daughter said she saw dirt between the tree and the house,” Tammy Pratt, who lives in a nearby duplex, told FOX 13. “I have grandkids that come here and play too. I won’t let them go back there.”

Children’s toys were seen in a backyard near the scene. (KDFW)

Officials found the child’s injuries resulted from blunt force trauma, inconsistent with the father’s story, KING 5 reported.

Both children had previously been in the foster care system before being returned to their biological parents, former foster parents Gary and Magali Lopez told the outlet. They cited concerns about the children’s health and safety, noting they contacted Child Protective Services multiple times.

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Scott Erickson, a former baseball star and once a lover of convicted child killer Rebecca Grossman, is currently grappling with a legal and financial quagmire. Erickson is now facing the prospect of significant punitive damages, coming on top of a staggering $176 million already awarded by a jury. He is reportedly claiming financial distress, despite his ties to a potentially lucrative sports enterprise.

During a recent court appearance, Erickson—who once pitched his way to a World Series victory—admitted to holding a stake in a sports company that could be valued in the billions. This revelation comes at a time when his financial standing is under scrutiny as part of ongoing proceedings.

Earlier this week, the jury decreed that Erickson, along with Grossman, must compensate Nancy and Karim Iskander with $176 million. The Iskanders are the grieving parents of Mark, aged 11, and Jacob, aged eight, who tragically lost their lives when Grossman collided with them in a crosswalk. The incident occurred while she was allegedly racing against Erickson.

Taking the stand during the punitive damages phase of the trial, Erickson offered insight into his financial state, listing his assets as limited. He reported having $9,000 in his bank account, a monthly MLB pension of $13,000, $242,000 in a retirement fund, and $200,000 in equity from his Las Vegas condominium.

However, in a line of questioning from the Iskanders’ attorney, Brian Panish, Erickson admitted to making a significant investment. In 2021, he invested $250,000 in Perfect Game, a company owned by his close friend and sports agent Rick Thurman. This investment was made with the expectation that the company could evolve into a billion-dollar enterprise.

Erickson – tanned and unshaven and wearing a dark jacket and pants and a cream open-necked shirt – told the jury of eight women and four men that in his 17-year pro baseball career that ended in 2003, he earned a total of $42.5 million.

‘Where is all that money?’ Panish asked him.

‘Taxes, real estate I no longer own, I made some bad business decisions,’ replied Erickson, adding: ‘I got divorced and paid my wife.’

In court on Friday, Rebecca Grossman’s ex-lover Scott Erickson claimed his assets are limited and don’t cover the money he’s been ordered to pay  

Erickson was ordered to pay compensatory damages in the wrongful death lawsuit brought by Nancy and Karim Iskander over the deaths of sons Mark, 11, and Jacob, 8, who were struck and killed while crossing a street in Westlake Village in September 2020

He admitted not disclosing information about a trust of which he is both the trustee and beneficiary.

And he claimed to have ‘no idea’ about what happened to numerous sums of money withdrawn from his bank accounts, including one for $237,000.

But when Panish accused him of ‘suppressing’ the true nature of his financial status, Erickson said, ‘I’m not suppressing evidence.’

He added that he felt ‘true remorse,’ about the deaths of the Iskander children. 

‘I feel terrible about what happened, about my actions. I made some mistakes. I have not been very honest.’

Jurors determined that Erickson was ‘negligent’ and that his negligence was a ‘substantial factor’ in the deaths of the boys. Judge Huey Cotton, presiding in the case, already ruled in a directed verdict that Grossman was negligent. 

And the jury also decided that Grossman and Erickson had ‘acted in concert’ leading up to the deadly crash.

Earlier Friday, Panish played the court a video deposition of Grossman’s husband, well-known plastic surgeon Dr Peter Grossman who runs three multi-million dollar burns hospitals in three states.

Grossman and Erickson were photographed attending a fundraising event in 2020 shortly before the accident. Erickson was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving and his criminal case was resolved in February 2022

Erickson, a former World Seeries winner, has vehemently denied any responsibility for the horrific pile-up for which his former lover, Rebecca Grossman is serving at least 15 years in prison

Karim and Nancy Iskander were seeking nearly half a billion dollars in damages for the loss of their two boys

Panish has accused the Grossmans of trying to hide millions in assets – including their $13.5 million home – by transferring properties to trusts in order to avoid paying the Iskanders.

And during the deposition, when Dr Grossman was asked for details about family trusts, his earnings, his business assets and many other financial issues, he repeatedly answered: ‘Have no Idea, ‘ ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t recall.’

Evan though he and his wife filed joint tax returns, when asked about how much she earns, he replied: ‘I don’t know.’

On Thursday, Rebecca’s attorney, Ester Holm, claimed in court that her client ‘had not earned income for many years prior to the accident …and she was doing charity work where she was not being paid.’

Grossman’s speeding white Mercedes SUV collided with both children, fatally injuring them, at a pedestrian crossing in Westlake Village, near Los Angeles, in September 2020, after she and Erickson both drank margaritas at a local bar.

Grossman was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison after jurors at her February 2024 criminal trial convicted her of two counts each of second degree murder and vehicular manslaughter, plus one of hit-and-run.

Erickson was only charged with misdemeanor reckless driving and that was dismissed after he made a public service announcement on the importance of safe driving.

But the 6ft 4in ex-athlete Erickson confessed on the witness stand during the civil trial that he lied to police about how much alcohol he had to drink before the deadly crash and admitted that he was convicted of DUI in Nevada 12 years ago.

Then and now: Rebecca Grossman arriving at court in 2024 and in her mugshot following her imprisonment 

He also admitted that when police asked him to turn in the vehicle he was driving at the time of the crash, he produced the wrong car for inspection (at the time he owned two black Mercedes SUVs, illegally bearing the same license plate number).

Despite the lack of criminal charges against Erickson, the Iskanders named him as a defendant in their civil action, saying he bore equal responsibility with Grossman for the fatal crash.

Erickson was having an affair with Rebecca when she was separated from her husband, who is also a defendant in the lawsuit as the owner of the Mercedes she was driving at the time of the crash.

A woman, the last descendant of a Jewish family, has accused an auction house of attempting to sell a $100 million painting of her great aunt by a renowned artist. She claims they altered its name to obscure the fact that it was looted by the Nazis during the Holocaust, according to new court documents.

Patricia Leahy, an American from Austria’s affluent Lieser family, alleges that the Vienna auction house, im Kinsky, orchestrated this deceptive act. They allegedly attempted to profit from selling Gustav Klimt’s “Portrait of Fräulein Margarethe Lieser” rather than returning it to her family, the rightful owners.

The painting was seized by the Nazis from the Lieser family in 1938 and had been missing ever since. It resurfaced at the Vienna auction house in 2024, reportedly under a modified name and with falsified provenance, according to Leahy.

In 2024, the auction house listed the painting for sale after removing “Margarethe” from its title, which Leahy contends was a deliberate effort to conceal its true identity.

The lawsuit asserts that the painting is valued at $100 million, as it is among Klimt’s last works. Despite this, the auction only attracted a bid of $30 million, which was subsequently withdrawn.

The painting “has now become the symbol of a poignant narrative,” says suit, which was filed Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court .

“The portrait of a young Jewish woman frozen in 1918, which survived the ravages of history— including the Anschluss and looting of Jewish property—now compels the legal system to reckon with questions of memory, ownership, and restitution,” the suit says.

The painting was commissioned by Adolpf and Silvia Lieser, who wanted Klimt — a legend of Austrian Art Nouveau — to paint an image in his famous style of their daughter, Margarethe, who is Leahy’s great aunt.

Klimt, however, died in 1918 before delivering the portrait, which was later found, unsigned in a nearly-finished state inside his studio and delivered to the Lieser family, the suit says.

It was shown publicly only once, at Vienna’s Neue Galerie in 1925, and remained in the Lieser family’s possession until it was taken by Nazis in the late 1930s, the suit says.

Margarethe and her children would go on to survive the Holocaust and emigrate to the UK, but had no knowledge of the work’s whereabouts, court papers say. She would later die in 1965.

One of her son’s, William, “was actively trying to find it until his death in 2021, according to the lawsuit.”

“The painting attained a legendary status in Klimt’s catalog,” the filing claims, “a ‘lost’ late masterpiece cited in books but not seen in living memory.”

But when Auktionshaus im Kinsky got the work, it stripped “Margarethe” from the title, claiming new research revealed her cousins might be the subject, Leahy’s suit claims.

This identity crisis was a tactical maneuver, the filing states. 

According to the auction listing, the current owner — who the suit alleges to be Eva Ropper of Vienna — contacted heirs “to agree on a ‘fair and just solution’ with them all in 2023.”

Leahy, who claims that she reached out once the auction house began publicizing its “landmark” sale, was not included in any settlements, despite claiming to be the last blood heir to the Lieser family. 

Plus, her suit claims that the “unprecedented” move to sell “such a major Klimt painting” through the relatively small im Kinsky auction house was actually a move to avoid the strict guidelines of international shops like Christie’s or Sotheby’s regarding looted art.

“Notably, Austria’s laws concerning restitution of Nazi looted art are not as stringent,” the suit claims.

Leahy says lawyers for Ropper and im Kinsky have shut her out, leaving her with no choice but to sue for possession of the lost work.

“Holocaust-era restitution cases are not just about provenance,” says her lawyer, Oren J. Warshavsky, “they are about people, families, and property taken under coercion. Our client is not asking for anything extraordinary—only to be recognized and included in a rightful process that should have happened decades ago.”

The auction house did not respond to requests for comment by The Post.

Washington — In a significant development, a federal judge in Rhode Island has taken steps to refer Justice Department attorneys for potential disciplinary action due to their conduct in an investigation concerning transgender youth care at a local hospital. This decision follows earlier findings where the court concluded that the attorneys had provided misleading information and withheld critical details.

U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy issued the referral after nullifying an administrative subpoena from the Justice Department. This subpoena aimed to access extensive medical records of transgender minors treated at Rhode Island Hospital, as part of a broad inquiry into gender-transition medical practices.

Appointed in 2019 by President Trump, Judge McElroy criticized the subpoena in a ruling last month, stating it lacked a legitimate congressional purpose and was issued “for an improper purpose in bad faith.” She expressed strong disapproval of the Justice Department’s strategies in the case, contrasting them with the “honorable conduct” expected from prosecutors, which she found “unsettling.”

In her May 14 opinion, McElroy emphasized the vast prosecutorial power held by the Justice Department. She highlighted the trust placed in federal prosecutors by citizens, expecting fairness and honesty, especially when dealing with states, companies, or vulnerable populations like children. She concluded that the DOJ had “proven unworthy of this trust at every point in this case.”

Judge McElroy further charged the Justice Department’s lawyers with presenting falsehoods under oath and withholding information from both her court and a federal court in Texas. She accused them of attempting to conceal their investigative methods—methods previously rejected by other courts—from her jurisdiction in favor of a more favorable venue aligned with the DOJ’s political interests.

The judge was referring to the Justice Department’s decision to seek an order from a judge in Fort Worth, Texas, that would compel Rhode Island Hospital to turn over the documents sought by the administrative subpoena last year.

In its effort to obtain the order from the Texas court, a Justice Department lawyer named Lisa Hsiao said in a declaration that Rhode Island Hospital failed to comply with the subpoena and stopped communicating with the department in February. But McElroy, the Rhode Island judge, said that claim was “clearly misleading, if not utterly false,” because representatives from Rhode Island Hospital had responded to an email from Justice Department lawyers about search terms for compliance with the subpoena.

“This reckless disregard for the duty of candor owed to a federal court is appalling,” McElroy wrote.

The judge also questioned the Justice Department’s decision to pursue enforcement of the subpoena in Texas, noting that Hsiao and other government lawyers who appear to be assigned to the investigation are based in Washington, D.C. Still, the Texas court went on to grant the Justice Department’s bid to enforce compliance with the subpoena and ordered Rhode Island Hospital in late April to turn over all records covered by the demand. The hospital has appealed the decision.

The Justice Department’s Civil Division denied McElroy’s claims about its lawyers in a statement earlier this week. 

“Such accusations against Department attorneys are rare and serious. The Department treats them accordingly and is committed to taking all appropriate remedial action where warranted,” it said.

The Justice Department continued: “The Civil Division has thoroughly reviewed the District Court’s allegations and concluded that they are without merit. Our attorneys did not misrepresent facts, withhold relevant information, or otherwise mislead the Court.”