University Southern California Trojans
Baseball Defeats Texas Tech, 5-3
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
February 13, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Behind a solid performance by junior LHP Barry Zito, the No. 4 USC baseball team snapped its five- game losing streak and defeated the No. 13 Texas Tech baseball team, 5-3, at Dedeaux Field on Saturday afternoon.
USC improved to 2-5, while Texas Tech lost for the first time and fell to 6-1.
Zito (1-1), who pitched at UC Santa Barbara as a freshman and Los Angeles Pierce College as a sophomore, won his first game as a Trojan. He pitched eight innings, striking out eight, and gave up six hits, four walks and three runs (two earned).
The Red Raiders got off to a 2-0 lead in the top of the second on sophomore DH Brennan Burns' RBI double and junior 2B Lance Woodcock's RBI single.
The Trojans used the long ball to take the lead, as junior SS Justin Gemoll hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning and junior C Eric Munson launched a two-run home run in the bottom of the third.
USC made it 4-2 in the bottom of the fourth when freshman 3B Beau Craig led off with a double and scored on freshman LF Brian Barre's single.
Texas Tech, with the help of two Trojan errors, scored an unearned run in the top of the fifth to pull within one run, 4-3. The Red Raiders appeared to have tied the score but junior 1B David O'Keeffe, en route to scoring, was called out for missing third base.
Craig's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth ended the scoring. Texas Tech had a few chances late in the game, but stranded two runners on base in both the eighth and ninth innings.
USC sophomore LHP Steve Smyth got the final two outs for his first save. Texas Tech junior RHP Kevin Tracey (1-1) started and took the loss.
The finale of the three-game series is Sunday (Feb. 14) at 1 p.m. at Dedeaux Field.
TT 020-010-000 --- 3-7-0
USC 012-101-00x --- 5-9-2
Tracey, Fossum (6) and Bard.
Zito, Immel (9), Smyth (9) and Munson.
WP -- Zito (1-1) LP -- Tracey (1-1) SV -- Smyth (1)
HR: USC -- Munson (3), Gemoll (1).
