Sophomore starter Gavin Govel and freshman reliever Cameron Fausset faced 25 combined batters on Saturday night. Not a single one got a hit.
The last time a USC team combined for a no-hitter was in 2018, against former Pac-12 foe Utah. It was only the third no-hitter since the turn of the century for the Trojans, and the eighth in program history. There hasn’t been a solo no-hitter since 1974, a drought that still lives on.
Govel threw six scoreless innings while striking out 10 batters. After walking one batter in the first inning, he retired the next 10 in a row.
“[Mason Edwards] and I were talking last night, and he told me ‘They can’t hit you,’” Govel said. “It felt great tonight.”
Govel was taken out of the game after six innings of work with only 77 pitches thrown, and was replaced by Fausset.
Govel was impressed with the freshman’s work.
“He did an amazing job. And after his inning, everyone was giving him hugs and daps, it was awesome. Our pitching staff is nasty, and I really think we have a chance to be great this year.”
Govel and Faucett weren’t the only Trojans to make history tonight as junior first baseman Dean Carpentier hit the first home run in new Dedeaux Field. Soon after, junior center fielder Kevin Takeuchi knocked in a two RBI single in the fifth inning to put USC up 6-0.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Trojans tacked on three more runs after two quick walks and two RBI base hits by Takeuchi and sophomore designated hitter Augie Lopez. Now up 9-0 with a runner on second, the Trojans were a base hit away from the 10-run rule that would end the game early and solidify their combined no-hitter.
Junior right fielder Andrew Lamb stepped up to the plate hitless on the night, and on a 2-0 count, he blasted a 418-foot home run to dead center field to walk it off. The Trojans took home game two 11-0 in just seven innings, also outhitting Pepperdine by the same mark.
“There was certainly a big deep breath running those bases,” Lamb said. “All nine of us were striking tonight. It was a great night.”
Head coach Andy Stankiewicz was ecstatic about the win, and the entire team’s effort.
“It was good to see us settle in. It all starts with Grant, it was a hell of a performance by him,” Stankiewicz said. “We need our frontline guys to be the frontline guys, and they were tonight.”
Now firing on all cylinders, the Trojans have a huge opportunity ahead of them, with a chance to sweep Pepperdine before Tuesday’s matchup against LMU.