March 29, 2003
LOS ANGELES (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Jon Brewster hit a walk-off single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the USC Trojans a 6-5 victory over the No. 3 Arizona State Sun Devils Saturday afternoon in Pac-10 baseball action at Dedeaux Field.
Arizona State left the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings and 12 runners total in the game to fall to 33-6 overall and 2-3 in Pac-10 play. USC improved to 14-15 on the year and is also 2-3 in conference play heading into the rubber game of the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
"You have to come to play and cash in on those opportunities when you have them," said ASU head coach Pat Murphy on ASU's 12 runners left on base Saturday and 29 LOB in the last two games. "In the Pac-10 you can't give teams second and third chances. USC played well defensively today and got some clutch hits."
After ASU left the sacks full in the seventh and eighth frames, USC rallied in the ninth to plate the game-winning run. Leadoff hitter Travis McAndrews reached on a single and moved to third on a ground-rule double by freshman slugger Jeff Clement. Reliever Bryce Kartler got Michael Moon to ground into a fielder's choice, but Brewster followed with a single to the right field gap to give the Trojans the victory.
USC reliever Fraser Dizard recorded the win to improve to 3-2 throwing one and a third scoreless innings. Trojan starter Brian Bannister, the son of former ASU All-American Floyd Bannister, recorded the no-decision scattering eight hits and five runs in six innings.
Arizona State All-American closer Ryan Schroyer was saddled with the loss giving up one run and three this in two and one-third innings to fall to 4-2 on the year. Freshman starter Erik Averill also recorded the no-decision in his second career Pac-10 start, allowing seven hits and five runs in six innings.
The Devils recorded double-digits in hits for the 30th game this season, but was out-hit by USC 11-10. Sophomore shortstop Dustin Pedroia continued his tear at the plate notching his 26th multi-hit game of the year by going 3-for-5 with his 24th double of the year. Freshman Travis Buck as also 3-for-3 and senior third baseman Dennis Wyrick picked up his 10th multi-hit contest of the year.
McAndrews and Clement paced the USC offense three hits each. Shortstop Anthony Lunetta was also 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and has five hits in the series.
The Trojans jumped out of the gates putting a run on the board on two pitches from Averill. McAndrews tripled down the right field line and came in to score when Lunetta followed with a double down the left field line. Averill settled down to minimize the damage retiring the next three batters in order to escape the troubled start. The Devils came right back in the top of the second to tie the game. Andre Ethier led off with a walk and later scored on a single to center field by Buck.
After leaving the bases loaded in the third, the Devils scored two runs in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Buck and second baseman Steve Garrabrants, with a wild pitch sandwiched between, fueled the two-run inning. Garrabrants scored on a one-out sacrifice fly by freshman center fielder Ryan Bosch.
McAndrews and Lunetta combined again in the fifth to cut ASU's lead to one at 3-2. McAndrews led off the frame with a double to right field and scored on a sharp single to center field on Lunetta's fifth hit of the series. Averill then coaxed Clement to ground into a double play and struck out first baseman Joey Metropoulos to end the inning.
The Trojans used the longball in the in the bottom of the sixth to score three runs and take a 5-3 lead. Third baseman Michael Moon led off the inning with a solo home run to right field and designated hitter Spencer Gordon followed with a two-run blast for his first home run of the season.
ASU came right back in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but let a golden chance to take the lead slip away. Consecutive singles by pinch-hitter Nick Walsh, Dustin Pedroia and Dennis Wyrick loaded the bases and a walk to Jeff Larish cut USC's lead to 5-4. Ethier's run-scoring fielder's choice tied the game at 5-5, but Trojan reliever Brett Butler came in to strike out Jeremy West and an inning-ending groundout to Garrabrants to preserver the tie. The Sun Devils again threatened in the top of the eighth, but again left the bases loaded this time when reliever Fraser Dizard struck out Ethier on a 94 MPH fastball.
The Sun Devils and Trojans will meet in the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. at Dedeaux Field. ASU senior right-hander Ben Thurmond (3-0, 3.28 ERA) will square off against left-hander Jordan Olson (1-0, 3.95 ERA).
Game Notes: ASU extended its NCAA record consecutive games scoring streak to 472 games... the two home runs allowed by Averill in the sixth marked the first time this year ASU has given up two homers in one inning... Pedroia extended his hitting streak to nine games and notched his 26th multi-hit game of the year... he now has at least one hit in 37 of ASU's 39 games and 48 of his last 50 games dating back to the end of the 2002 season... Brett Bordes and Mark Sopko delivered the starting lineup to home plate prior to the start of the game... senior stating point guard on the ASU basketball team Kyle Dodd made a guest appearance at Dedeaux Field to watch the game... also in the stands to watch his nephew, Dustin Pedroia, former ASU defensive coordinator and current Washington defensive coordinator was Phil Snow. USC 6, Arizona State 5 (Mar 29, 2003 at Los Angeles, Calif.) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Arizona State....... 010 200 200 - 5 10 1 (33-6, 2-3 PAC-10) USC................. 100 013 001 - 6 11 0 (14-15, 2-3 PAC-10) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Pitchers: Arizona State - Averill; Schroyer(7); Kartler(9). USC - Bn.Bannister; Rummonds(7); Butler(7); Dizard(8). Win-Dizard(3-2) Loss-Schroyer(4-2) T-3:21 A-890 HR USC - Moon (3); S. Gordon (1). --Sun Devil Baseball--