LOS ANGELES (March 25, 2023) – Washington State dropped a 6-1 contest to USC at Dedeaux Field Saturday evening.
 
The Cougars (14-8, 3-5 Pac-12) received two-hit games from Jacob Morrow and Kyle Russell but USC clinched the series with two runs in the second and two more in the fourth while turning away a couple WSU threats throughout the evening. The Cougars left eight men on base and the Trojans (13-8-1, 6-2 Pac-12) turned three double plays.
 
KEY MOMENTS OF THE GAME
WSU put runners on second in each of the first two frames but USC was able to keep them off the board. USC opened their half of the second with three straight hits as a two-run single to right field gave them a 2-0 lead.
 
In the fourth, Cougar starter Grant Taylor nearly had a 1-2-3 inning but his two-strike pitch just missed and USC doubled on the next pitch and the next batter bounced a ball off the top of the right field wall for a two-out two-run homer for a 4-0 advantage. USC added a run in the sixth to push the lead to 5-0.
 
In the seventh, WSU started the inning with a Bryce Matthews line drive single to left field and Russell followed with a bunt single in front of home plate. The Cougars put a run the board as Matthews scored on a ground ball double play to cut the USC lead to 5-1 but the Trojans added one more run in the eighth.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Sam Brown singled to left in the 1st, has reached base in all 21 games
Cam Magee walked in the 4th on-base streak to 15 games, his 11-game hitting streak ended
Elijah Hainline singled in the 5^th to extend his on-base streak to 13 games
 
NEXT UP
The series wraps up Sunday at 1 p.m.