USC crushes Gonzaga 11-1 to win series, allows just 4 hits

Some days the bats get going, and some days the arms take over. Ideally, as was the case on Saturday for USC, both have good days at the office. The Trojans defeated Gonzaga 11-1 at Great Park in Irvine, California. Coach Andy Stankiewicz's ball club now moves to 25-14 on the season and is currently on a two-game winning streak.

As mentioned in the team's social media post, the series win over the Zags makes it the sixth in a row. It didn't always come easy, however. Through the first two innings, the Trojans were kept at bay on offense. Dylan Osborne, who started on the mound, went 3.2 innings and only gave up the one run. His 66 pitches included three strikeouts, while only allowing one hit and walking two Gonzaga batters.

The following three USC pitchers each gave up only a single hit, for a combined three additional hits. Jackson Baker went 1.1 innings and threw 23 pitches with three strikeouts. Sax Matson went an inning. He struck a Bulldog out during his 20 pitches. And Brodie Purcell earned the win in his 2.0-inning outing. The sophomore threw 31 pitches and also managed to strike three batters out. It's safe to say that when the starter and bullpen only give up four hits while only walking two players, the pitching crew had an excellent day on the mound.

Trojan offense ends game early

The strong USC arms were also matched by the batters. Adrian Lopez won the Helmet of the Game through his efforts, as shared on the team's X account. The sophomore finished with a home run and three RBIs for the Trojans.

Jack Basseer had an earlier HR that brought Lopez in. The junior right fielder had two total hits on the day. Bryce Grudzielanek had another good day for USC as he finished with three RBIs and a stolen base. Although he will feel hard done by, as it would have been one final run for him. The 10-run mercy rule officially wiped off the 12th run when the shortstop advanced from first base off the Maximo Martinez RBI single that brought in Ethan Hedges for the 11-1 win after eight innings.

Either way, it was a complete team performance from the Cardinal and Gold. They will now travel to Long Beach State for a one-off before facing Minnesota on the road for the Trojans' next Big Ten series.