After six straight losses for the Trojans, head coach Andy Stankiewicz’s squad got back on track in the Great Lake State, taking two of three in Ann Arbor against the Wolverines.
The Trojans were still looking for their first win against a Big Ten opponent as the Oregon Ducks swept USC in its first series in the new conference.
Southpaw junior Caden Hunter got the start Friday night, looking to bounce back after his rough outing against Oregon on March 7, where he gave up four earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. The former Sierra College pitcher gave USC what it needed, tossing a quality start after only giving up one earned run across 6.1 frames.
“It all starts on the mound,” Stankiewicz said in an interview with USC Athletics after Friday night’s game. “Caden Hunter was fantastic. He did a great job of pounding the zone and mixing up his pitches. It was all Caden today.”
The Trojans led off the third with a walk from sophomore outfielder Brayden Dowd, who seems to have entrenched himself in the leadoff spot for the Trojans. Dowd’s .471 on-base percentage is the top mark on the team, aided by his team-leading 19 walks.
Three batters later, with the bases loaded and one out, sophomore first baseman Dean Carpentierdoubled down the right-field line on an 0-2 pitch, driving in two.
“We did a good job of picking each other up today,” Stankiewicz. “Good team baseball is what we have to be about.”
The Trojans were not done, as graduate outfielder Kade Higgins slapped a single to extend the lead. Sophomore infielder Abbrie Covarrubias continued to pour it on and gave the Trojans their fourth run of the inning with a single. The Trojans got four runs on six hits in the third, sending nine men to the plate.
“The bats came and put some good at-bats together to string a [four- inning] and a [three-run inning],” Stankiewicz said.
That three spot came in the seventh, with Covarrubias notching a bases-loaded triple to set the lead at 7-0.
“[Covarrubias is] starting to use the middle of the diamond well,” Stankiewicz said. “That bases-loaded triple in that gap was a big moment. He picked up [redshirt junior infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek], and that’s what we want to be about—picking each other up. But [Covarrubias] has been swinging the bat real well.”
The Wolverines finally broke through in their half of the seventh with a solo home run from Huntington Beach’s own sophomore outfielder Colby Turner.
After four Michigan runs between the seventh and eighth frames opened the door for a Wolverine comeback, the Trojan saves leader, junior pitcher Ethan Hedges, came in and slammed that door with a scoreless ninth, snapping USC’s six-game losing streak and securing the first matchup against Michigan.
Game two was a pitcher’s duel between Wolverine sophomore Dylan Vigue and Trojan senior Caden Aoki. Similar to Hunter in game one, Aoki was looking to bounce back from a rough outing against Oregon, where he gave up seven earned runs in four innings pitched.
Vigue was brilliant in his six innings of work, allowing only three hits. Aoki’s first sign of trouble came in the third. A leadoff home run from Turner put the Wolverines in front and a pair of doubles later in the inning drove home the second run.
“[Pitching coach Sean Allen] came up to me and said, ‘Keep them there, that’s all they’re going to get,’” Aoki said in an interview with USC Athletics after Saturday’s game. “I just have to go out there with a clear mind and just keep competing.”
The Trojans had something going in the sixth, getting two hits, but a double play in between ended the possible threat.
USC let out a sigh of relief after Vigue sat down going into the seventh frame. Out went Vigue and in came graduate lefty Cade Connolly. The Trojans promptly got a single and a double off him. With runners on second and third and nobody out, the Trojans' Achilles' heel — a double play, their third of the game — ended a possible rally.
Aoki got through seven strong innings, allowing only two runs, his second time going seven innings this year. The Trojans were down to their final six outs, trying to mount a comeback.
“I just had to execute pitches,” Aoki said. “It was a grind of a day, but it felt good to keep the team in it.”
The eighth started with back-to-back singles by Dowd and Hedges. The red-hot sophomore outfielder Adrian Lopez came up to bat with runners on the corners and no outs before tying the game on a double to left field. This was Lopez’s fourth straight game with at least one hit, with the previous three being multi-hit games.
That wasn’t it for USC. The Trojans were aided by poor defense by the Wolverines, giving them two more runs on a wild pitch and a fielding error later in the inning.
“They put up great at-bats the whole game and the whole season, so just keep chipping away,” Aoki said.” I have full confidence that [the USC batters] are going to get our runs.”
With USC now leading 4-2, Stankiewicz handed the ball to sophomore Mason Edwards to hold on to the two-run lead. After striking out the first batter, Edwards gave up a single and a walk. A wild pitch allowed each runner to move 90 feet to second and third with only one out.
Edwards then intentionally walked junior second baseman Mitch Voit, who is hitting .462 on the year. This put the force out at any base while also avoiding the scorching-hot Voit from potentially tying the game or taking the lead. The next batter walked, forcing home a run the easy way and putting the Wolverines within one. With only one out and the bases still loaded, Edwards induced a huge double play to keep the lead for USC.
Edwards had a much easier ninth, giving him his first save of the year while also giving the Trojans the series win.
“We have a lot of confidence, even when we are losing,” Aoki said. “We had a good night together on Wednesday and were just together. Everyone loves each other, so we’re playing the baseball that we need to play right now.”
The Trojans looked for the sweep entering Sunday’s matchup, but things quickly turned bad for Stankiewicz’s squad.
USC sent freshman righty Grant Govel in what ended up being a bullpen game. Govel quickly found himself in trouble in the first after three singles by the Wolverines, capped off by a Turner two-out hit to drive in two. These were two of Turner’s career-high six RBIs in the game.
The second was not any easier for Govel, who surrendered five runs in the frame. All the damage came with two outs. Govel’s final ledger was two innings, giving up seven earned.
Wolverine junior Kurt Barr was solid on the mound, going six while stymying the Trojan offense. Turner continued his career afternoon, driving home three more with his second double.
The Wolverines secured the run-rule victory, as they led by 10 or more after seven innings. Turner went 3-for-4, driving in six, while Voit also continued his remarkable season, going 3-for-3 and driving home the remaining four.
It was a rough finish to the series for USC, but the Trojans still earned the series victory. They look to quickly bounce back on Tuesday as they travel to the desert to face Arizona State.