UCLA
18-5, 5-2
USC
10-14, 3-4
UCLA Topped by USC 7-2 in Series Opener
March 29, 2019 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES โ No. 1 UCLA suffered a 7-2 defeat at the hands of USC on Friday night in its Pac-12 series-opener at Dedeaux Field.
The Bruins (18-5, 5-2 Pac-12) were limited to two runs for just the fourth time this season. USC (10-14, 3-4) managed 10 hits as a team.
Junior first baseman Michael Toglia provided UCLA's first run of the game, pulling a base hit through the right side to plate junior second baseman Chase Strumpf in the sixth inning.
Strumpf had reached earlier in the inning after rolling a grounder back through the middle with one out. Junior left fielder Jack Stronach walked on four pitches to move Strumpf into scoring position.
The Bruins added a second run in the top of the ninth as freshman Jack Filby โ receiving his first collegiate at-bat โ singled up the middle to score Matt McLain from second base. ย ย
USC scored in each of the odd-numbered innings, posting single runs in the first and third before putting up a three-spot in the fifth and another two runs in the seventh.
Leadoff hitter Matthew Acosta (2-4, HR, two-run HR) and shortstop Chase Bushor (2-4, three RBIs) were the offensive leaders for the Trojans. Acosta's homer highlighted a three-run fifth for the home team.
Connor Lunn nearly went the distance for the Trojans, allowing two earned over 8 2/3 innings and striking out eight. He was pulled in the eighth after allowing Filby's base hit with two outs.
UCLA starter Zach Pettway allowed seven earned over seven innings, striking out a pair. He received the loss, moving to 2-2 on the year.
Junior right-hander Felix Rubi made his Division I debut with a scoreless eighth inning in relief. Rubi shook off a pair of Bruin errors to escape the inning without any damage, stranding a runner in scoring position by getting Acosta to ground out to third.
The Bruins and Trojans resume their series on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The game is set to be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lunn, Connor (3-1)
L: Pettway, Zach (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Kendall, Kevin 1
RBI: Toglia, Michael 1 ; Filby, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Strumpf, Chase 1 ; McLain, Matt 1
CS: McLain, Matt 1
Batting:
2B: Sabol, Blake 1 ; Bushor, Chase 1
HR: Acosta, Matthew 1
RBI: Acosta, Matthew 2 ; Sabol, Blake 1 ; O'Guinn, Jamal 1 ; Bushor, Chase 3
SH: Stubbs, CJ 1 ; Thomas, John 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Acosta, Matthew 2 ; Stubbs, CJ 1 ; O'Guinn, Jamal 2 ; Ramirez, Ben 1 ; Thomas, John 1
SB: Stubbs, CJ 1 ; Sabol, Blake 1
CS: Sabol, Blake 1
HBP: Stubbs, CJ 1
PO: Sabol, Blake 1
