USC Baseball Takes Opener in Utah, 7-3

LOS ANGELES – The USC baseball team scored four runs in the seventh inning and got seven strong innings on the mound from Isaac Esqueda to beat Utah on the road, 7-3, on Thursday night.
 
USC pounded out 13 hits and got homers from Jamal O'Guinn and Ben Ramirez as they move to 24-25 overall and 12-16 in Pac-12 play. The Utes fall to 16-32 overall and 6-22 in conference action.
 
Ramirez's third homer in two games was a two-run shot that broke things open in the seventh. O'Guinn followed with a solo-shot and Garret Guillemette doubled home the fourth run of the inning to make it a 7-1 USC lead. The Utes came back with a two-run shot in the bottom half of the seventh, but that was it for their rally.
 
Making what could be his final start in a USC uniform, Esqueda scattered eight hits and three runs over seven innings, striking out four and walking two to pick up the win and move to 6-3 on the year.
 
The Trojans broke a scoreless tie in the fourth when Clay Owens doubled home O'Guinn from first and Guillemette brought home Owens with a groundout to second.
 
Eight of the Trojans' nine starters hit safely in the game and five different USC players drove in runs.
 
Kyle Wisch pitched a scoreless eighth and worked into the ninth before giving way to Garrett Clarke, who picked up the save after stranding runners on first and second to end the game.
 
TOP PERFORMERS

• Isaac Esqueda: W (6-3), 7.0 IP, 8H, 3ER, 2B, 4K
• Ben Ramirez: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R, 2-R HR
• Jamal O'Guinn: 2-for-5, RBI, 2R, HR
• Garret Guillemette: 1-for-4, 2 RBI, 2B

 
UP NEXT
The Trojans are back in action at Utah on Friday night at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT and then wrap things up on Saturday at 10 a.m PT/11 a.m. MT. Both games will be streamed live via Pac-12+ with links to follow on the baseball schedule page at USCTrojans.com.