April 17, 2012

Box Score

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Powered by Matt Foat's 4-for-5 day at the plate and the first home run of Dante Flores' Trojan career, the USC baseball team defeated CSU Bakersfield 11-2 Tuesday night at Hardt Field before a record crowd of 1,063. The Trojans improve to 20-14 while the Roadrunners fall to 17-18 on the season.

In the first inning USC strung together three straight singles to right field to load the bases. Sophomore James Roberts then lined a sharp single to left to plate Adam Landecker and Alex Sherrod as the Trojans jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.

USC would load the bases in the second for Foat who added to the Trojans lead with a two-run single to left to score Garrett Stubbs and Kevin Swick to make it 4-0. Foat was then picked off first but managed to stay in a rundown long enough for Landecker to score from third to go up 5-0.

Starter Brandon Garcia (3-3) would exit in the fourth but picked up the win after allowing only one run on one hit in three innings of work.

In the fifth, freshman Dante Flores kept USC rolling as he belted a solo shot to right off Spenser Messmore (3-3) to take a 6-0 lead. Flores would later double to center to add to his stellar night at the plate.

Up 8-1 in the sixth, the Trojan bats stayed hot as Sherrod laced a triple down the right field line to score Flores. Foat followed with single to bring Sherrod in for one of his three RBI's and take a commanding 10-1 lead.

Nigel Nootbaar tossed four strong innings of relief surrendering just one run on four hits. Nick Berhel worked the eighth inning retiring the Roadrunners in order. Senior Jordan Hershiser closed out the 11-2 win for the Trojans by pitching a scoreless ninth and became the second member of his family to pitch in Bakersfield. His father, Orel, made a rehab start for the Bakersfield Dodgers in 1991.

USC returns to action tomorrow as they host UC Santa Barbara for a 6 p.m. game at Dedeaux Field.