USC Beats Pepperdine, 5-3
June 21, 1999 | Baseball
May 29, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Two bases-loaded walks in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted the second-seeded USC baseball team over top-seeded Pepperdine, 5-3, and into Sunday's championship game in an NCAA Regional contest at Dedeaux Field on Saturday afternoon.
The crowd of 2,384 was the largest at Dedeaux Field since May 25, 1991, when USC hosted the NCAA West Regional and 2,887 saw USC defeat Pepperdine, 17-7.
USC (35-23), as the lone unbeaten team, will need to win only one of two games on Sunday to advance to the super regionals. USC will meet either Pepperdine (44-15) or Virginia Commonwealth, who play later tonight. The first Sunday game will be at noon with a second game, if necessary, starting one hour after the first game's completion.
Tied 3-3 entering the bottom of the eighth, USC loaded the bases with two walks and a single. With one out, Pepperdine junior RHP Richard Sundstrom came into the game and walked the next two Trojan hitters, junior 1B Justin Gemoll and senior RF Greg Hanoian, giving USC two runs.
USC junior LHP Barry Zito (12-2), named an All-American first teamer earlier this week, went 8 1/3 innings, getting five strikeouts while allowing eight hits, four walks and three runs. Pepperdine put a runner on first with one out in the top of the ninth, but sophomore LHP Steve Smyth came in and got a double play to end the game and record his third save. Pepperdine freshman LF Woody Cliffords went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while USC got two hits each from senior LF Jason Lane and senior CF Brad Ticehurst.
PEP 110-100-000 --- 3-8-1 USC 200-100-02x --- 5-9-0Haren, Askay (7), Reed (8), Sundstrom (8), Wersel (8) and Sardinha. Zito, Smyth (9) and Munson.
WP - Zito (12-2); LP - Askay (2-1); SV - Smyth (3). HR - none.
USC 5, Pepperdine 3 - May 29, 1999
