USC
9-5, 0-2
Oregon
13-2, 2-0
Trojan Comeback Falls Just Short Against No. 10 Oregon
March 08, 2025 | Baseball
USC falls to 9-5 overall and 0-2 in conference action with the loss. Oregon improves to 13-2, 2-0.
The Trojans had the tying run on in both the eighth and ninth innings, but couldn't find the big hit they needed as USC stranded three in the eighth and two in the ninth.
Oregon jumped out to an 8-0 lead, using a five-run fifth inning to break the game open. USC cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the inning, though, getting an RBI double from Brayden Dowd, a two-run double from Ethan Hedges and a run scoring single from Dean Carpentier.
Hedges cut the deficit in half again in the seventh when he hit a two-run homer to right, making it an 8-6 game. It was Hedges' team leading fifth homer of the year.
USC would load the bases in the eighth, but a grounder to the right side that nearly snuck through was tracked down on a slide and spin play by the Oregon second baseman, Ryan Cooney. A pair of two-out walks in the ninth brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the final frame, but Cole Stokes got a strikeout to end the game an pick up the save for the Ducks.
In 5.0 relief innings, the USC bullpen allowed just one run, with Andrew Johnson tossing 3.0 innings and Dylan Osborne throwing the final 2.0. Osborne struck out a pair and gave up just one hit, getting a pickoff to end the top of the eighth.
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ethan Hedges: 2-for-5, 4 RBI, 2R, 2B, HR
- Brayden Dowd: 3-for-4, RBI, 2R, 2B, BB
- Andrew Johnson: 3.0 IP, 4H, ER, BB
- Dylan Osborne: 2.0 IP, H, 0R, 0BB, 2K, PO
COMING UP
The Trojans and Ducks wrap up the series on Sunday at noon. Sunday's game will be broadcast live on B1G+.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Garcia, Santiago (1-0)
L: Aoki, Caden (1-1)
S: Stokes, Cole (1)
Batting:
2B: Walsh, Jacob 2 ; Aroz, Anson 1
HR: Hellman, Dominic 1
RBI: Hellman, Dominic 2 ; Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Aroz, Anson 2 ; Molony, Maddox 1 ; Heard, Jeffery 1 ; Cooney, Ryan 1
SH: Molony, Maddox 1
SF: Cooney, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Neville, Mason 2 ; Hellman, Dominic 2 ; Walsh, Jacob 1 ; Aroz, Anson 2 ; Mabeus, Burke-Lee 1
CS: Garate, Carter 1
HBP: Garate, Carter 1
PO: Garate, Carter 1
Batting:
2B: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 1
HR: Hedges, Ethan 1
RBI: Dowd, Brayden 1 ; Hedges, Ethan 4 ; Carpentier, Dean 1
SH: Tejeda, Richard 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dowd, Brayden 2 ; Hedges, Ethan 2 ; Covarrubias, Abbrie 1 ; Elliott, John 1
HBP: Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Higgins, Kade 1
