University Southern California Trojans
Baseball Wins a Wild One, 17-15
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
April 18, 1999
PALO ALTO, Calif. - The never-say-die USC baseball team posted a wild 17-15 victory at No. 2 Stanford on Sunday, lifting the No. 22 Trojans back into a first-place tie in the Pacific-10 Conference.
USC is now 26-18 overall and 12-3 in the Pac-10, tied with Stanford (27-11 overall), after winning two of three games from the Cardinal over the weekend.
The Trojans had several heroes, including senior Jason Lane (4-for-6, two home runs and six RBI), senior Dominic Correa (3-for-5, home run, three RBI and the win in relief) and freshman C Beau Craig (2-for-5 and a grand slam).
USC got off to a poor start, as the Cardinal took a 9-2 lead after four innings. But the Trojans' bats came alive in the top of the fifth, scoring eight runs on six hits to take a 10-9 lead. Senior RF Greg Hanoian and Lane had back-to-back doubles, Correa had an RBI single, Craig hit a grand slam and junior 3B Justin Gemoll followed with a solo homer.
But behind the bat of Joe Borchard, Stanford rallied again, this time to take a 13-10 lead after seven innings. Borchard went 5-for-6 with seven RBI, including a solo home run in the fourth inning and a three-run shot in the fifth inning.
USC wasn't finished, however. Lane crushed a two-run home run to left-center field in the top of the eighth, and Correa and sophomore 1B Carlos Casillas had back-to-back doubles as the Trojans scored a total of four runs in the top of the eighth for a 14-13 lead.
In the top of the ninth, Lane smacked another home run, this time a three-run shot, to make it 17- 13.
Correa (1-0) pitched the final three innings to earn his first win as a Trojan. Stanford scored two unearned runs in the ninth inning, but Correa was able to strand the tying runs on base.
USC set season highs for runs (17), hits (22) and home runs (five).
A crowd of 3,203 was the second-largest ever at Sunken Diamond.
The Trojans next visit UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday (April 20) at 2 p.m.
USC 011-080-043 --- 17-22-3
STAN 332-130-102 --- 15-19-1
Lehr, Smyth (3), Montrenes (4), Lane (5), Correa (7) and Craig.
Sager, Willcox (5), Rich (5), Cogan (6), Coose (8), Gosling (9), Wodnicki (9) and Alvarado.
WP - Correa (1-0); LP - Cogan (3-2).
HR - USC: Lane 2 (12), Correa (7), Craig (2), Gemoll (4); STAN: Borchard 2 (8).
