Tuesday, February 25
Fullerton, Calif.
6:00 PM
USC
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Cal State Fullerton
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USC
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Cal State Fullerton
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Photo by: Katie Chin
USC Baseball Holds Off Cal State Fullerton, 5-3
February 25, 2025 | Baseball
FULLERTON, Calif. – The USC baseball team built an early lead and the bullpen held on late as the Trojans took down Cal State Fullerton, 5-3, on the road Tuesday night.
USC moves to 7-1 on the season with the victory, while the Titans fall to 1-7. Ethan Hedges had a homer and a save in the game for the second time this season, and Garren Rizzo got the win after 4.0 scoreless innings on the mound.
Hedges and Kade Higgins went back-to-back with solo-home runs in the first inning to put USC on top, 2-0. Fullerton would answer in the bottom half of the inning with a run and then loaded the bases with one out, but Michael Ebner settled in and got a pair of strikeouts to strand all three runners.
Brayden Dowd singled home a run in the second and then Bryce Martin Grudzielanek hit a solo-shot of his own to give USC a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning.
The Titans scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and had runners on the corners with one out, but Andrew Johnson picked off a runner at third and then John Elliott caught a runner stealing at second to keep the Trojans in front.
The USC bullpen stranded four runners the rest of the way, with Sax Matson coming in to get a strikeout with runners on the corners in the seventh to keep USC up by one. Tee Southisene stranded a runner in the eighth and Hedges stranded one in the ninth. It was the third save of the season for Hedges, who also hit his fourth home run in the game.
Rizzo had the best night of the six pitchers USC used, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings after taking over in the second. He struck out a career-high nine batters, giving up just one hit and one walk.
Martin-Grudzielanek added an insurance run for the Trojans in the eighth with an RBI single as he led the way with two RBI on the night.
TOP PERFORMERS
COMING UP
The Trojans face UCONN, No. 14 Vanderbilt and UCLA in the Southern California College Baseball Classic over the weekend, with UCONN and Vandy coming to Great Park, and USC heading to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday. All three of the weekend game will be broadcast on B1G+.
USC moves to 7-1 on the season with the victory, while the Titans fall to 1-7. Ethan Hedges had a homer and a save in the game for the second time this season, and Garren Rizzo got the win after 4.0 scoreless innings on the mound.
Hedges and Kade Higgins went back-to-back with solo-home runs in the first inning to put USC on top, 2-0. Fullerton would answer in the bottom half of the inning with a run and then loaded the bases with one out, but Michael Ebner settled in and got a pair of strikeouts to strand all three runners.
Brayden Dowd singled home a run in the second and then Bryce Martin Grudzielanek hit a solo-shot of his own to give USC a 4-1 lead in the fifth inning.
The Titans scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth and had runners on the corners with one out, but Andrew Johnson picked off a runner at third and then John Elliott caught a runner stealing at second to keep the Trojans in front.
The USC bullpen stranded four runners the rest of the way, with Sax Matson coming in to get a strikeout with runners on the corners in the seventh to keep USC up by one. Tee Southisene stranded a runner in the eighth and Hedges stranded one in the ninth. It was the third save of the season for Hedges, who also hit his fourth home run in the game.
Rizzo had the best night of the six pitchers USC used, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings after taking over in the second. He struck out a career-high nine batters, giving up just one hit and one walk.
Martin-Grudzielanek added an insurance run for the Trojans in the eighth with an RBI single as he led the way with two RBI on the night.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Garren Rizzo: 4.0 IP, 0R, H, BB, 9K
- Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R, HR
- Ethan Hedges: 1-for-3, RBI, R, HR, 2BB / S, 1.0 IP, 0R, 0H, BB, K
COMING UP
The Trojans face UCONN, No. 14 Vanderbilt and UCLA in the Southern California College Baseball Classic over the weekend, with UCONN and Vandy coming to Great Park, and USC heading to Jackie Robinson Stadium on Sunday. All three of the weekend game will be broadcast on B1G+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Rizzo, Garren (4-0)
L: Smith, Dylan (0-1)
S: Hedges, Ethan (3)
Batting:
HR: Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Higgins, Kade 1
RBI: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 2 ; Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Higgins, Kade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Higgins, Kade 1 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1 ; Schwartzberg, Zach 1
SB: Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1
PO: Lopez, Adrian 1
Batting:
2B: Kirchner, Andrew 1
RBI: Kirchner, Andrew 1 ; Burke, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Burdick, Cam 1 ; Latta, Maddox 1 ; Bardowell, Matthew 1
SB: Latta, Maddox 1
CS: Burke, Jack 1
PO: Lopez, Eli 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
3b/p
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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C/OF
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OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
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LHP
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RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
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