USC Opens Pac-12 Play With Convincing 9-4 Win at Cal

Friday, March 15

Berkeley, CA

7:05 PM

USC

6-10, 1-0

California

8-7, 0-1

USC

California

Photo by: John McGillen

USC Opens Pac-12 Play With Convincing 9-4 Win at Cal

March 15, 2019 | Baseball, Features

Box Score Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. – The USC baseball team got plenty of timely hitting and a pair of strong performances on the mound to open Pac-12 play with a 9-4 win over Cal on the road on Friday night.

Connor Lunn made his first start of the season and tossed seven strong innings, and CJ Stubbs and Jamal O'Guinn came up with the game-tying and go-ahead homers as the Trojans moved to 6-10 on the year and 1-0 in conference action. Cal falls to 8-7 overall and 0-1 Pac-12.

After USC capitalized on some Golden Bear errors to go up 3-0 in the third, Cal came back and hit a pair of home runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-3 lead. Unfazed, Lunn would respond with four scoreless innings, giving his offense just enough time to take back the advantage.

Stubbs hit a solo-shot to left in the top of the sixth to tie the game up, and then O'Guinn crushed a ball to left in the top of the eighth for a two-run homer and a 6-4 Trojan lead. USC would tack on three runs in the top of the ninth.

Chris Clarke entered in the bottom half of the eighth and proceeded to get a groundout and two strikeouts, including one against the reigning Golden Spikes Award winner Andrew Vaughn to end the inning. Cal got a pair of runners on with one out in the ninth, but Clarke got his fourth strikeout and a popup to end the game and pick up the save.

Of the six hits Lunn gave up on the day, three game in the third inning, along with all four runs and one walk. After giving up the two homers, Lunn set down the next seven batters in a row, and stranded the only two baserunners to reach against him after the third.

TOP PERFORMERS

Connor Lunn tossed 7.0 innings, scattering six hits and giving up four earned runs. He struck out six batters and walked just one.
Chris Clarke gave up two hits and no runs in 2.0 innings of work to pick up his first save of the year. Clarke struck out four batters and walked none.
Jamal O'Guinn went 2-for-5 with the go-ahead two-run homer.
CJ Stubbs was 1-for-3 with the game-tying home run and a walk on the day.
Blake Sabol went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and three runs scored.

COMING UP
The Trojans continue their series with Cal on Saturday at 3 p.m. and then finish it off on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Hear from Head Coach @DanHubbs40 after the Trojans start Pac-12 play off with a win.#FightOn pic.twitter.com/FLkQQcW3xf
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) March 16, 2019

Also hear from @jamaloguinn16 after his two-run homer was the difference for the Trojans.#FightOn pic.twitter.com/UBKrh9FexV
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) March 16, 2019