USC
15-10, 0
Indiana
14-12, 0
USC Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Indiana
March 28, 2025 | Baseball
With the wind blowing out, both offenses led the way on the day as each team had double digit hits in both games. USC moves to 15-11 overall and 5-6 in Big Ten play with the split. Indiana moves to 15-12, 6-5.
Game 1
The Trojans took the opening game of the doubleheader behind a season high five home runs and 16 hits, coming back from an early deficit to outscore the Hoosiers 10-2 over the last six innings.
Trailing 3-0, USC hit back-to-back-to-back solo home runs in the fourth inning to tie things up. The three homers came on three consecutive pitches as Brayden Dowd, Adrian Lopez and Jack Basseer all went deep.
Indiana came back with a go-ahead run in the sixth inning, but USC again responded with a three-run inning. Abbrie Covarrubias led off the top of the seventh with a double and then was moved over on a groundout by Augie Lopez. Kevin Takeuchi would drive in Covarrubias with a single into center field. Ethan Hedges then went deep for his seventh homer of the season, with the two-run shot giving USC a 6-4 lead.
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek added a solo-shot in the eighth and then USC padded the lead with three runs in the ninth.
Caden Hunter picked up the win on the mound, tossing 6.0 innings to move to 5-1 on the year. After giving up a wind-aided two-run homer in the first, Hunter gave up just one in the second and one in the sixth. He stranded the bases loaded in the fifth inning and stranded two runners in the sixth. Brodie Purcell would toss the final 3.0 innings to record the save, giving up just one run in the ninth. Purcell struck out five and walked none.
Game 2
Indiana broke the second game open early, scoring six runs in the second inning and the Trojans were never able to fully recover. USC scored two runs in both the second and fifth innings, but the Hoosiers also had two-run frames in the fourth, fifth and sixth.
Basseer and Hedges each had homers in the late game, giving both players two long balls in the doubleheader. Hedges went 3-for-4 in both games with four runs driven in. He is now batting .404 with eight homers on the year.
TOP PERFORMERS (Game 1)
- Ethan Hedges: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2R, HR, BB
- Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, R, HR
- Brodie Purcell: S, 3.0 IP, 3H, R, 0BB, 5K
TOP PERFORMERS (Game 2)
- Ethan Hedges: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, R, HR, 2B, BB
- Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, BB
- Jack Basseer: 2-for-4, RBI, 3R, HR, 2B, BB
COMING UP
USC and Indiana finish the series on Saturday at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET on B1G+. The Trojans then come home to host San Deigo State on Tuesday at Great Park in Irvine. Tuesday's nonconference matchup will be broadcast on B1G+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hunter, Caden (5-1)
L: Seebold, Gavin (1-3)
S: Purcell, Brodie (1)
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1
HR: Hedges, Ethan 1 ; Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Basseer, Jack 1 ; Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1
RBI: Takeuchi, Kevin 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Basseer, Jack 2 ; Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Takeuchi, Kevin 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Dowd, Brayden 2 ; Lopez, Adrian 2 ; Basseer, Jack 1 ; Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1
CS: Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1
Batting:
2B: Hanley, Jake 1 ; Cerny, Tyler 1
HR: Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Hanley, Jake 1
RBI: Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Hanley, Jake 2 ; Malamazian, Cooper 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Taylor, Devin 1 ; Hanley, Jake 1 ; Cerny, Tyler 2
SB: Taylor, Devin 1
PO: Moore, Will 1
