SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Junior first baseman Adam Buschini singled to drive in the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning as No. 16/23 Cal Poly defeated Southern California 7-5 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night before 1,463 in Baggett Stadium. The win, Cal Poly’s first against the Trojans in 34 years, improves the Mustangs’ overall mark to 18-7. Southern California fell to 11-13. With the score tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, ...
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Junior first baseman Adam Buschini singled to drive in the go-ahead runs in the seventh inning as No. 16/23 Cal Poly defeated Southern California 7-5 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday night before 1,463 in Baggett Stadium.
The win, Cal Poly’s first against the Trojans in 34 years, improves the Mustangs’ overall mark to 18-7. Southern California fell to 11-13.
With the score tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, junior catcher Ross Brayton led off with a single to right-center field. Junior shortstop Kyle Smith’s sacrifice bunt moved Brayton to second base and pinch-hitter Ricky Rossman drew a walk. Both runners advanced 90 feet on a wild pitch.
After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Buschini singled to left field to drive in both Brayton and Rossman, giving the Mustangs a 6-4 lead.
Cal Poly added an insurance run in the eighth as sophomore third baseman J.J. Thompson singled down the right-field line, stole second, took third on the overthrow at second base and came home on Brayton’s sacrifice fly to center field.
The Mustangs then withstood a Trojan rally in the ninth as USC scored once and had runners at first and third with two outs. Junior right-hander DJ Mauldin relieved senior right-hander Eric Massingham and induced catcher Hector Rabago to fly out to center field for the final out of the game.
Senior southpaw Jared Eskew pitched the first five innings for Cal Poly, giving up four runs and seven hits. Junior right-hander Mark DeVincenzi (3-0) tossed two scoreless frames with four strikeouts for the win and Massingham secured the next five outs before Mauldin picked up the save, his first of the season, by retiring the only batter he faced.
The loss went to Chad Smith (2-2), the second of three USC pitchers. Starter Kevin Couture allowed four runs and six hits in three innings and Smith gave up two runs and two hits in 3 1/3 innings. Anthony Vasquez secured the final five outs for the Trojans.
Both teams collected 10 hits.
Buschini went 3-for-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored while senior center fielder Ryan Lee and Brayton each added a pair of hits for Cal Poly.
Lee extended his hitting streak to 15 games, the seventh longest in the Mustangs' 15-year Division I history and 10 shy of the school record of 25 set by Brandon Roberts in 2004.
Left fielder Mike O’Neill and Green each had three hits and two RBIs for USC.
After the Trojans scored twice in the top of the first inning on a home run by shortstop Grant Green and a throwing error, Cal Poly answered with two runs in the bottom of the first. Lee tripled, Buschini doubled down the left-field line to score Lee and sophomore designated hitter D.J. Gentile doubled to center field, scoring Buschini.
The Mustangs took a 4-2 lead in the third on Buschini’s two-run home run to left field, his second of the season.
USC came right back with two runs in the fourth to knot the score at 4-4. O’Neill’s single through the left side of the Mustang infield tallied the two runs.
Cal Poly, which prior to the game was 0-3 against USC since moving to Division I before the 1995 season, last beat the Trojans in 1975, sweeping a doubleheader 1-0 and 3-2 on March 1 in SLO Stadium.
Southern California still leads the all-time series, 18-4.
The Mustangs played without junior first baseman Wes Dorrell, out with a back injury, and freshman second baseman Matt Jensen due to illness. Dorrell is hitting .407 on the year while Jensen sports a .404 mark.
Cal Poly returns to Big West Conference play this weekend, hosting Cal State Northridge for three games in Baggett Stadium on Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 1 o’clock.
