USC’s bats come alive during rout of Lamar at NCAA Tournament

Can a game be over in the top of the first inning?

It certainly felt that way Saturday afternoon based on the way USC baseball was clobbering Lamar.

Eight pitches into the NCAA Tournament elimination game, the Trojans held a two-run lead. Four batters later, that cushion was up to five runs.

With ace Mason Edwards on the mound, that felt like more than enough.

Turned out, even with Edwards wobbling a bit, it was.

Having been held back one day for an anticipated showdown with Texas A&M, Edwards instead made mincemeat of Lamar for much of the Trojans’ 19-6 victory at Blue Bell Park in College Station, Texas.

After pitching four scoreless innings, Edwards (9-0) wavered in the fifth, giving up five runs before departing.

But it never felt like the Trojans (44-16) were in any sort of trouble given they entered that inning with a 16-0 lead.

USC pounded out 19 hits — including three homers — off an astounding 11 Lamar pitchers, ending the Cardinals’ season in what amounted to a home game for the school located about 175 miles away.

Adrian Lopez gave USC an early lead with a two-run homer before Andrew Lamb crushed a three-run shot that briefly appeared bound for the train careening past the wall in right-center field.

Not to be outdone, Trojans center fielder Walter Urbon — the No. 9 hitter — belted a grand slam in the fourth inning, increasing his team’s lead to 12-0.

What it means

The Trojans shook off a heartbreaking loss from the previous day in which closer Adam Troy gave up a two-run homer in the ninth inning against Texas State.

While Edwards didn’t get to face the Aggies, his strong performance sustained USC’s season for at least another day.

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Turning point

The moment Lamar starting pitcher Travis Lutz stepped onto the mound for warmups.

The poor right-hander didn’t have it Saturday, giving up three walks in addition to the two homers in the first inning.

Lutz was yanked in the second inning after a horrendous pitching line: five hits and seven runs — all earned — with four walks and only one strikeout in 1⅔ innings. 

MVP: Walter Urbon

Urbon finished with five hits and drove in five runs. Lopez and Isaac Cadena added three hits apiece.

Did you see that?

Cadena broke his aluminum bat, with the barrel flying toward the mound and the handle remaining in his hands, on his fourth-inning infield single.

Up next

The Trojans will face either Texas A&M or Texas State in another elimination game at 1 p.m. PT on Sunday.