USC
16-11, 0
Indiana
15-13, 0
Brayden Dowd's Homer Caps 10 Run Comeback for USC Baseball
March 29, 2025 | Baseball
Dowd's home run was one of four on the day for USC, with Ethan Hedges hitting two in the game and recording the save. The Trojans' win was the largest comeback for a USC team since April 22, 2003, when the Trojans erased a 10-0 deficit against UC Santa Barbara to win 13-12 in the 10th inning. The dramatic victory gives the Trojans their third-straight series win and moves USC to 16-11 overall and 6-6 in Big Ten play. Indiana falls to 15-13, 6-6.
After Hedges got USC on the board with a solo-shot in the first, Indiana scored the next six runs to go up 6-1 after two innings of play. The Trojans scored single runs in third and fourth, but the Hoosiers would put up six runs in the bottom half of the fourth to make it a 12-3 game. It was all Trojans from there on out, though.
USC scored four in the sixth, with Dowd getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Hedges hitting a sacrifice fly and Adrian Lopez driving in two runs with a double.
Abbrie Covarrubias, who also homered in the fourth, grounded home a run in the seventh to make it a four-run game. Hedges hit his second long ball of the day in the eighth, scoring Dowd for a two-run shot, then Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek scored Jack Basseer on an RBI single to make it 12-11.
Covarrubias singled to start the ninth and advanced on an error, then with one out, Dowd lifted a 2-2 pitch down the right field line and inside the foul pole for the go-ahead shot.
After the early offensive outburst by the Hoosiers, Andrew Johnson settled things down an tossed a clutch 3.2 scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and one walk to allow USC to make the comeback. Jackson Baker worked a scoreless eighth as he was credited with the win, retiring the side in order to set up Dowd's heroics in the ninth. It would be Hedges on the mound once USC grabbed the lead, as the junior righty picked up his seventh save of the year, getting two groundouts and a popup for the final three outs.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ethan Hedges: 3-for-5, 5 RBI, 2R, 2 HR | S, 1.0 IP, H, 0R, 0BB
- Brayden Dowd: 1-for-2, 3 RBI, 3R, 3BB, GW HR
- Abbrie Covarrubias: 2-for-4, RBI, 3R, BB, HR
- Andrew Johnson: 3.2 IP, H, 0R, BB, 3K
COMING UP
The Trojans head home to host San Deigo State on Tuesday and then Ohio State for a three-game series over the weekend. All four games will be at Great Park in Irvine and will be broadcast on B1G+.
Hear from Head Coach Andy Stankiewicz as he joined the broadcast postgame to talk about USC's dramatic win on the road ✌️#FightOn x @turntwo17 pic.twitter.com/woDlwGMW1Y
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) March 29, 2025
Hear from the 9th inning hero, @braydendowd, after USC's series-clinching comeback at Indiana. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/o0kQ1A7678
— USC Baseball (@USC_Baseball) March 29, 2025
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Baker, Jackson (1-1)
L: Telfer, Trey (0-1)
S: Hedges, Ethan (7)
Batting:
2B: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Basseer, Jack 1
HR: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1
RBI: Dowd, Brayden 3 ; Hedges, Ethan 5 ; Lopez, Adrian 2 ; Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1
SF: Hedges, Ethan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowd, Brayden 3 ; Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Basseer, Jack 1 ; Martin-Grudzielanek, Bryce 1 ; Martinez, Maximo 1 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 3 ; Elliott, John 2
HBP: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Martinez, Maximo 1
PO: Hedges, Ethan 1
Batting:
2B: Dickerson, Korbyn 1
HR: Taylor, Devin 1 ; Dickerson, Korbyn 2 ; Cerny, Tyler 1
RBI: Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Taylor, Devin 1 ; Dickerson, Korbyn 5 ; Cerny, Tyler 2 ; Malamazian, Cooper 1 ; Moore, Will 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Wiggins, Andrew 1 ; Taylor, Devin 3 ; Dickerson, Korbyn 3 ; Hanley, Jake 2 ; Cerny, Tyler 1 ; Brenczewski, Joey 1 ; Schuyler, T.J. 1
CS: Taylor, Devin 1
