USC outslugs Long Beach State

By WAVE STAFF

Story Created: Mar 3, 2010 at 1:14 PM PST

Story Updated: Mar 3, 2010 at 1:14 PM PST

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USC junior righthander Chris Mezger pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to lift the Trojans past Long Beach State, 10-5 Tuesday at Blair Field in a nonconference baseball game.

A crowd of 1,192 at the home field of Long Beach saw USC improve to 3-4.

The Trojans also showed some pop offensively, getting home runs Alex Sherrod, Ashton Kent and Ricky Oropesa. The teams combined for five homers in the normally pitcher-friendly park.

Joe De Pinto and Matt Foat had two hits each with Kent going 2-for-4 with three RBI in his first start of the season.

Long Beach State (3-4) took a 3-0 lead in the second after Joey Terdoslavich tagged USC starter Brett Williams with a two-run homer to right center. In the top of the third, Branden Pinder walked Oropesa and allowed a single to De Pinto before Sherrod tied the game with a three-run blast off the top of the wall in right center. After shortstop Kirk Singer committed a fielding error, Kent made the Dirtbags pay with a three-run homer to left as Pinder was pinned for all seven runs.

The Dirtbags got to within four in the seventh, but with two outs and a 3-0 count to Steve Tinoco, designated hitter Devin Lohman tried to steal third before being gunned down by Trojan catcher Richard Stock for the third out. Oropesa then hit his second homer of the season with a line drive shot over center field. Mezger later got pinch-hitter Tre Dennis to ground into the 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

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