After suffering its first loss of the season Saturday at Northwestern, No. 13 USC baseball (20-1, 5-1 Big Ten) was eager for a chance to get back in the win column. Against San Diego State, opportunity knocked, and the Trojans answered.
A three-run eighth inning lifted USC — which hadn’t scored since the first — over a hungry Aztec team (11-10, 2-1 Mountain West) in a 7-4 victory at Dedeaux Field.
The game kicked off with fireworks from both sides. Trojan redshirt sophomore RHP Chase Herrell found himself in a tough spot early as wild pitches and walks led to two first inning Aztec runs.
USC responded swiftly. After junior second baseman Abbrie Covarrubias was hit by junior RHP Bryce McKnight’s first pitch, sophomore third baseman Maximo Martinez singled to center. Junior first baseman Adrian Lopez hit into a fielder’s choice for the first out at third.
Then junior center fielder Kevin Takeuchi stepped up to the plate.
Takeuchi has been a sparkplug for the Trojans all season, leading the team in hits (28) and RBI (19). He came through once again against McKnight, blasting a three-run home run to put USC up 3-2.
“He’s been really consistent,” USC head coach Andy Stankiewicz said. “Credit to him, you know? He’s older, so he’s understanding what the opponent’s trying to do to him. He’s able to have a plan and stick with the plan. That’s maturity on his part.”
“It was a great feeling,” Takeuchi added. “It was nice to punch back and get the lead.”
Senior right fielder Jack Basseer got hit by a pitch after junior left fielder Andrew Lamb grounded out to first, giving the Trojans a solo baserunner with two outs. Sophomore designated hitter Augie Lopez smoked a pitch up the left field line, scoring Basseer and opening up a 4-2 USC lead to end the first.
Neither team scored again until the seventh inning.
“Coach Stank[iewicz] always talks to us about weathering a storm,” Takeuchi said. “There’s always going to be storms and ups and downs in a game.”
Things were down for a while as the hot start fizzled out for both sides, and the Trojans leaned heavily on their bullpen through the middle innings. After 3.2 innings of work from Herrell, freshman RHP Gavin Lauridsen entered with runners on second and third with two outs, forcing Aztec redshirt junior shortstop Jabin Trosky into a groundout to close the fourth. Following 1.2 innings for Lauridsen, Stankiewicz called on junior LHP Sax Matson. Three outs later, it was go time for freshman RHP Diego Velazquez, who eventually got the win for USC.
But the Trojans couldn’t seem to get the bats going. In the third, Basseer singled to right field, but Augie Lopez struck out looking for USC’s third out. With two outs in the fifth, Takeuchi painted one up the third base line for a two-out stand-up double – but Lamb quickly flew out to center.
Meanwhile, the Aztecs started to find their groove in the seventh. Given that they had multiple baserunners throughout the game, it was only a matter of time until they broke through. Senior third baseman Tyce Peterson singled to center, followed by a double from sophomore catcher Zach Justice that put runners on second and third with nobody out. Junior left fielder Adam Magpoc hit a sac fly to deep center and the runners tagged, tightening USC’s lead to only one run. After the Matson/Velazquez pitching change, it was sophomore designated hitter Anthony Marnell IV’s turn.
Fly ball to right. Basseer with the catch. Justice tagged and scored to tie the game.
Stankiewicz knew exactly which button to press next. Isaac Cadena stepped in to pinch hit for fellow junior catcher Richard Tejeda and rocked a triple to right center on the first pitch he saw.
With all that momentum, the Trojans still couldn’t capitalize.
Covarrubias struck out swinging. Martinez went down looking. Adrian Lopez grounded out to third, stranding Cadena and dissolving one of USC’s best scoring opportunities of the night.
“I think in those moments, our guys get too big, and they get excited. They get anxious,” Stankiewicz said. “They want so badly to be the guy that drives the run in… We’ve got to learn, the pressure’s on them, not us.”
It seemed as if that painstaking moment might’ve knocked the wind out of the Trojans’ sails, but patience proved a virtue for USC in the eighth. Facing senior RHP Aidan Russell, Takeuchi worked a walk and Lamb was hit by a pitch. Basseer and Augie Lopez failed to reach, but a walk from sophomore shortstop Maddox Riske put the Trojans in a bases loaded situation with two outs.
San Diego State kept Russell in and paid for it.
He walked Cadena and allowed a double from Covarrubias to right field in quick succession. After six scoreless innings for USC, it was suddenly a 7-4 game.
The pitching change came too late, as redshirt junior LHP Connor Abadie struck out Martinez to end the eighth.
From there, it was on Trojan redshirt junior RHP Adam Troy to finish the job. He picked up his seventh save of the season and USC moved to 20-1.
“We want to start another winning streak, so it’s good to get that one today,” Takeuchi said. “We’ll hopefully keep it rolling tomorrow.”
To see if the Trojans keep it rolling, tune in Wednesday as they return to action against CSU Bakersfield at 6:30 p.m.