Paula Carney embraces her son Joey in his hospital room before they each head off to surgery on June 2. (Credit: Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

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Paula Carney, whose son stepped away from his baseball career to undergo a liver transplant trying to save her, died Thursday having never fully recovered from the surgery. She was 50.

Carney required the transplant because non-alcoholic steatohepatitis had left her with end-stage liver cirrhosis. She received about 40% of her son’s liver during a procedure at the UC San Francisco Medical Center on June 2.

Joey Carney made the University of San Francisco’s baseball team as a non-scholarship walk-on, impressing coaches during an open tryout last fall. He became the only player in at least 18 years to play for the Dons after appearing in such a tryout.

Joey, a converted outfielder, not only made the team but thrived as a pitcher out of the bullpen. He was promoted to the role of closer about two-thirds of the way through the season, and he converted on all five of his save opportunities.

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