Baseball
    USC Rebounds With 10-5 Win Over Utah
    Trojans put up 18 hits in first Pac-12 win.
    USC's Matt Foat hit his second home run of the season today.
    USC's Matt Foat hit his second home run of the season today.

    March 18, 2012

    Box Score

    LOS ANGELES - Senior Alex Sherrod's 4-for-5 day at the plate and the team's 18 hits led No. 21 USC to a 10-5 victory over Utah this afternoon at Dedeaux Field. The Trojans improve to 13-6 (1-2) with the win. Utah falls to 6-12 (2-1).

    Freshman lefty Stephen Tarpley (3-0) allowed five runs but picked up the win with four strikeouts in six innings.

    Seniors Brandon Garcia, Brad Douthit and Martin Viramontes combined for three innings of scoreless relief to secure the win for USC.

    With two on and two out in the second, sophomore James Roberts singled to short scoring Kevin Swick and a hustling Garcia who came around on the throw to first.

    With a 2-0 lead, USC struck again in the third as Sherrod singled to right to score freshman Garrett Stubbs. After starter Tanner Trip (0-2) departed, senior Kevin Roundtree followed with another RBI single up the middle to score Adam Landecker for a 4-0 advantage.

    Utah jumped back into the game in the fourth with four runs on four hits highlighted by a two-run triple to right off the bat of Trey Nielsen.

    USC regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a double to center by Sherrod that scored Stubbs to make it 5-4.

     

     

    USC relinquished the lead for the last time in the fifth when Tyson Gonzalez scored on a fielder's choice from Ryan Cooperstone to even the game at 5-5.

    Swick continued his dominant presence in the Trojans lineup with a bases-loaded single to left in the sixth to score Landecker and take a 6-5 lead. Garcia chipped in with a hard single to right to plate Sherrod and stretch the lead to 7-5.

    USC kept the offense rolling in the seventh when Sherrod doubled off the right field wall to score Landecker from first. Next, senior Matt Foat notched his second homer of the year as he took Mitch Watrous deep to right with an opposite field two-run blast that put the Trojans up 10-5.

    In addition to Sherrod, five other Trojans had multi-hit performances this afternoon. Senior Garret Houts had three hits to raise his average to .414 while Landecker, Swick, Roberts and Garcia all had two hits each in the win.

    USC continues Pac-12 play as they travel to Palo Alto for a three-game series (March 24-26) against No. 2 Stanford.