Cougars drop series-opener at USC

LOS ANGELES (March 24, 2023) – Washington State dropped the series-opener 13-3 to USC at Dedeaux Field on a windy Friday evening.
 
The Cougars (14-7, 3-4 Pac-12) received two hits from Sam Brown who homered and Cam Magee singled and reached base three times. USC improved to 12-8 overall and 5-2 in conference play after scoring four in the fifth and five in the sixth inning to back starter Tyler Strombsborg who struck out 10 in seven innings of work.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
In the first, Magee got things going with a one-out single off the USC pitcher and Brown followed one batter later with a line-drive two-run homer to right field for a 2-0 lead. The Trojans caught a break to put a run on the board in the third as a leadoff fly ball was blown by the wind away from the Cougar right fielder who made a diving attempt but came up short resulting in a USC triple and the Trojans later delivered a two-out RBI-single.
 
USC evened things up in the fourth inning after putting two runners on with one out as bunt single was thrown away and allowed a run to score. In the fifth, the Trojans used four hits to score four two-out runs and take a 6-2 lead. USC erupted for five more in the sixth on four hits and two errors to push their lead to 11-2.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Cam Magee singled in the 1st to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, on-base streak to 14 games
Sam Brown homered in the 1st, has reached base in all 21 games
Elijah Hainline reached on a bunt single in the 1st to extend his on-base streak to 12 games
 
NEXT UP
The series continues Saturday at 6:30 p.m.