March 18, 2011
Box Score
LOS ANGELES - The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on USC Friday night, but the Trojans answered with eight runs of their own to take a 8-2 victory in game one of a three-game series at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles. Junior CF Brett Christopher (Livermore, Calif.) was two-for-four with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base for Pacific.
Christopher led off the game with a single through the middle and after stealing second base, moved to third on a sacrifice from sophomore 2B Dustin Torchio (Santa Cruz, Calif.). Junior RF Allen Riley (Fresno, Calif.) hit a liner into the gap that was tracked down, but Christopher trotted home on the sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Tiger lead.
In the third, junior SS Garret Borba (Merced, Calif.) picked up his first hit as a Tiger with a single up the middle with one out. Christopher then bounced into a fielder's choice, and when Torchio ripped a line drive off the heel of USC first baseman Ricky Oropesa, Christopher came all the way around to score as Pacific led 2-0 after two and half.
But the Trojans answered back in the fourth as Adam Landecker delivered an RBI triple to the corner in right field. Then USC centerfielder Garrett Houts dropped down the squeeze bunt to plate Landecker and tie the game at 2-2. Pacific starter, RHP Jared Wagner (Danville, Calif.) avoided further damage in the as Houts was caught stealing to end the inning.
But Wagner found himself in trouble in the fifth, hitting the leadoff man on a 3-2 pitch and then giving up a single to Oropesa. USC loaded the bases on a bunt single to third base by 2B Joe Pinto and Wagner gave way to LHP Kyle Crawford.
The Tigers got the groundball they needed as Crawford coaxed a two-hopper to Torchio at second, who tagged the runner and threw to first for the double-play, but the Trojans picked up the lead as Roberts scored the go-ahead run for a 3-2 Trojan advantage.
Crawford pitched into the seventh, when he gave up back-to-back singles to open the frame, and then De Pinto and Alex Sherrod each posted a one-out singles, allowing the Trojans to take a 4-2 lead. After a walk with the bases loaded plated the fifth USC run, Crawford departed and Trojans picked up one more run off sophomore RHP Jonas Noack (San Diego, Calif.).
The Trojans added two more in the eighth on an RBI single from De Pinto, and DH Mike Greco added a sacrifice fly off junior RHP Jacob Waardenburg (Klamath Falls, Ore.)
After falling behind 2-0, USC starter Andrew Triggs rebounded to hold Pacific to one earned run on six hits, striking out five and walking none for the complete game victory. He needed 113 pitches to run his record to 2-1.
Wagner took the loss in his first start of the season, falling to 0-1. He finished with three earned in four-plus innings of work, striking out two.
Pacific LF Matt Carvutto (Poway, Calif.), 1B Brian Martin (Livermore, Calif.) and 3B Daniel Johnston (Portola Valley, Calif.) each added a single on the evening.
De Pinto paced USC with a three-for-four day with a pair of RBI.
The Tigers will close out the series with a double-header Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m.
