Nevada lost to the University of Southern California, 12-4, in a baseball game played on May 9 at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles. The Wolf Pack bullpen was unable to hold off the Trojans, who scored ten runs across the sixth and seventh innings to overcome Nevada’s lead.
The outcome affects Nevada as they prepare for their final weekend of the regular season. The team will return home to Reno for a three-game series against Grand Canyon University from May 14 through May 16 at Don Weir Field at Peccole Park.
Sean Yamaguchi led Nevada’s offense by going two-for-four with a solo home run and two runs batted in. He drove in Rominic Quiban to tie the game at two runs apiece during the top of the sixth inning, and Mikey Cruz Jr. scored on a fielding error by USC shortly after.
Despite taking a brief lead, Nevada (23-24) could not maintain its advantage. USC loaded the bases with one out against reliever Luke Schat before Maximo Martinez tied it up with an RBI single and Adrian Lopez put USC ahead with a sacrifice fly. The Trojans (41-12) expanded their lead significantly in the seventh inning, highlighted by home runs from Jack Baseer, Walter Urbon, Adrian Lopez, and Kevin Takeuchi.
Cruz hit his eighth home run of the season for Nevada in the eighth inning but it was not enough to close the gap. Schat took his second loss of the year after giving up three runs over just more than an inning of relief work. Starting pitcher Alessandro Castro allowed only two runs while striking out three batters over five innings.
USC’s Andrew Johnson earned his fifth win by pitching both scoreless sixth and seventh innings and striking out five batters.
