By “We’re not good,” is all first-year head coach TJ Bruce had to say after declining an interview following a 12-2 home loss to the University of Southern California Trojans on Tuesday night at Bohl Diamond on Blair Field.
Only a fraction of the original crowd of 2,383 remained by the end, sticking it out through a four-hit offensive showing. At the same time, 10 different pitchers took the mound in an unsuccessful effort to contain the Trojan offense.
The promising once-Dirtbag shortstop from a year ago, sophomore Adrian Lopez, made his return to Blair Field playing left field for USC. Lopez’s power at the plate was evident in his lone season with the LBSU, posting eight homers, but he struggled defensively and hit just .225.
Lopez entered Tuesday’s game with a .319 batting average with six home runs and 26 runs driven in for the Trojans. He was met with boo’s by some young fans as he entered the batter’s box for the first time. In his return, he went 1-5 with two RBIs and a strikeout.
Though Lopez was kept in check for the majority of the night, the rest of the USC lineup feasted on an LBSU bullpen game. They began their onslaught in the first inning with a run, and five more came in the top of the fourth inning.
Down 6-0 in the fourth, the Dirtbags broke into the hit column and were able to get a couple of runs across via a fielder’s choice double play and an RBI double from freshman designated hitter Luke Taylor to make it 6-2.
LBSU’s offense could only muster two hits the rest of the way as USC continued to add to its advantage. Off the bench, USC’s junior right fielder Jack Basseer cranked a solo homer over the wall in left to make it 7-2 in the seventh inning.
Dirtbags second baseman Easton Elliot jumps and throws out a USC runner at first. The Trojans beat the Dirtbags 12-2 in a nearly four-hour game on Friday night at Bohl Diamond on Blair Field. Photo credit: Ethan Cohen
The Trojans padded their lead with five more insurance runs in the top of the ninth.
Two-way star, junior third baseman Ethan Hedges, finished a home run shy of the cycle going 3-4 with two RBI, a run and a walk.
Hedges leads USC in every major offensive statistical category, along with a team-high eight saves this season.
The Dirtbags went down quietly in the home half of the ninth, and look to quickly turn the page on a lackluster night on both sides of the ball ahead of their weekend series versus Cal State Northridge beginning Friday at Blair Field.
