Near-cycle from Andrew Lamb leads the way in 8-0 USC win over CSUN

Andrew Lamb had an excellent day for the USC baseball team. His efforts played a large part in the Trojans beating CSUN 8-0 at Hiegert Field in Northridge, CA. The sophomore recorded a double, triple, and home run, only being a single short of the cycle. For the infielder, it was an excellent out that earned him the well-deserved Helmet of the Game.

Fittingly, Lamb was the first to get points on the board. He opened up the second with a double and then proceeded to make it home after advancing on two sac flies. The sophomore then followed that up in the third with an RBI triple. Abbrie Covarrubias grabbed an RBI single himself, as Lamb's run provided a 3-0 cushion.

Three consecutive scoreless innings between the two ball clubs were then made up for in the seventh. Ethan Hedges brought a runner home with his on-base hit. Adrian Lopez built on that effort with an RBI double to push the scoreline to 6-0. Capping off the day offensively, Lamb produced his two-run homer.

USC pitchers had good days at the mound

Naturally, in a scoreless game, the pitching staff of USC had a good day as well. Coach Andy Stankiewicz opted to use six different arms today, which combined to give up only four hits. Jackson Baker started on the mound and went 2.0 innings. In the win, he threw 34 pitches and struck out two batters.

Ben Cushnie threw for 1.2 innings and only allowed one hit. Jude Favela and Sax Matson each had three strikeouts. Andrew Harbour went three up and three down in the eighth. Finally, Hedges only allowed a single hit in the ninth and preserved the shutout for the Trojans. 

This victory marks the 30th win of the season under coach Stankiewicz. As college baseball media journalist Shotgun Spratling shared on X, this marks the third consecutive season in a row that this has happened for the Trojans. The upcoming rivalry series against UCLA could give USC fans a lot to root for. Even with a loss or two against the Bruins, the Trojans are making an excellent case to be well on their way to Omaha right now.