The 14th-ranked Arizona baseball team saw its five-game road winning streak snapped Saturday as Southern California benefited from a six-run sixth inning en route to an 8-4 victory.
The Trojans (23-26, 8-18 Pac-12), who snapped a nine-game losing streak, scored two runs without a hit in the third inning and then tallied their only seven hits of the game in the six-run sixth. USC went 6 for 9 with runners in scoring position for the game; Arizona went 3 for 10 and left 11 runners on base.
Wildcats starter Konner Wade held the Trojans hitless over the first five innings and carried a 3-2 lead into the sixth, but he was unable to work his way out of the decisive sixth inning. USC sent 11 men to the plate in the frame, collecting six hits off Wade and another off reliever Tyler Crawford en route to six runs and an 8-3 lead.
Other than a brief rally in the ninth inning, the Wildcats were held at bay the rest of the way. USC starter Andrew Triggs (5-6) earned the victory, going seven innings and allowing three earned runs on nine hits. He struck out three and walked two.
Relievers Brad Douthit and Martin Viramontes combined to pitch the final two innings out of the bullpen. Each collected a pair of strikeouts and gave up a hit.
USC loaded the bases and scored the game’s first runs without a hit in the third inning. With one down, Wade walked a batter, hit one and walked another. He then hit James Roberts with a pitch to force in a run, and Alex Sherrod followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Trojans a 2-0 lead.
The Wildcats (35-16, 17-9 Pac-12) clawed back and took the lead in their next trip to the plate. With one down and runners at the corners, Trent Gilbert lined a single to right field to drive in Bobby Brown. Joseph Maggi followed with his first triple of the season down the right-field line to drive in a pair of runs and put UA ahead 3-2.
That was all the offense the Wildcats could muster, though, and Wade (7-2) suffered just his second loss of the season after going 5 1/3 innings. He was charged with eight earned runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out five.
