March 3, 1998

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- The No. 2 USC baseball team hammered out 21 hits en route to a 15-8 victory at UC Santa Barbara on Tuesday afternoon, led by a 4-for-5 effort by freshman centerfielder Rod Perry Jr., who was making the first start of his career.

The Trojans improved to 14-4 overall, while the Gauchos fell to 5-7-2.

Perry also had three RBI and two runs scored. Other offensive highlights included junior DH/LHP Jason Lane's 3-for-5 with a solo home run, senior 2B Wes Rachels' 3-for-6 with two doubles, senior LF Jeremy Freitas' 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBI and sophomore C Eric Munson's 2-for-2 with a home run.

The Trojans used eight pitchers. Freshman RHP Rik Currier (1-0) made his first career start and picked up the win, going four innings and allowing four hits and two runs while striking out four.

USC broke out to a 8-0 lead by scoring four runs in the top of the first, three runs in the second and one run in the third, then later made it 11-2 with three more runs in the top of the seventh.

UC Santa Barbara's bats awakened in the bottom of the seventh, however, as they slugged three home runs and scored six runs to make it 11-8.

The Trojans added one more run in the eighth on Munson's home run and three more in the ninth.

USC hosts Oregon State this weekend at Dedeaux Field: Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday at noon.

USC  431-000-313---15-21-0
UCSB 002-000-600---8-8-2

Currier, Penney (5), Saenz (6), Vieira (7), Krogh (7), Lane (7), Flores (9), Krawczyk (9) and Munson, DiPippo (9). Cain, Cooley (6), Martinez (7), Shara (8), Lehr (9), Cardinalli (9) and Lehr, Ovsiowitz (9).

WP - Currier (1-0), LP - Cain (1-1)

HR - USC: Munson (6), Freitas (7), Lane (6). UCSB: LaCour (3), Lehr (1), Molidor (1).