Feb. 17, 2007
LOS ANGELES - USC got a complete game effort from starting pitcher Ryan Cook along with some timely hitting as it defeated San Diego State, 7-3, Friday night at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles. The loss ended a four-game winning streak for the Aztecs, who fell to 5-3. The Trojans, meanwhile, improved to 6-4.
Cook scattered seven hits and gave up no walks while striking out five as he picked up his second win of the year against no defeats.
SDSU starter Donnie Hume started strongly, striking out four over the first two innings before running into trouble in the third. Back to-back singles by Hector Estrella and Roberto Lopez to open the inning were followed by a two-run double off the bat of Nick Buss, who came around to score later in the inning. The three runs were enough to send Hume (2-1), who struck out seven over his five innings of work, to his first loss as an Aztec.
San Diego State responded in the top of the fourth as Frank LoNigro's double down the left field line drove home Brandon Glover and Nick Romero, who had singled ahead of him. That closed the gap to one run at 3-2, but it was as close as SDSU would get the rest of the way.
USC answered back with two runs into the bottom of the fourth off Hume and added single markers in each of the next two innings.
The Aztecs' best chance to get back in the game came in the sixth when Glover and Romero had one-out singles to put runners at first and third. But Cook induced LoNigro to hit into a double play and the threat was extinguished.
SDSU got a consolation run in its final at bat when Nick Romero scored from first base on a throwing error by Trojan shortstop Grant Green on a grounder by his brother, Aztec second baseman Garett Green.
Romero finished the game with three hits while Johnson had a pair as the duo accounted for five of the team's seven hits on the evening.
Action now switches to San Diego as the Aztecs and Trojans continue their three-game weekend series with a contest Saturday evening (Feb. 17) at 6:00 p.m. at Tony Gwynn Stadium.