LOS ANGELES -- The 12th-ranked Arizona State baseball team was unable to recover from a four-run seventh inning and fell to No. 17 USC, 7-4, on Saturday at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles.
The Sun Devils (34-20, 18-11 Pac-12) put the tying run on deck with two outs in the ninth after right fielder Trever Allen hit a solo home run to left field and shortstop Colby Woodmansee followed with a single, but first baseman Joey Bielek's groundout to shortstop ended the late push.
Starting left-hander Ryan Kellogg (8-2) took the loss after he was responsible for two of the runs in the seventh. He conceded one run in the opening frame, but allowed just three base runners over the next four innings. He struck out eight in 6 1/3 innings and became the seventh pitcher in school history to start 45 career games.
Arizona State was unable to bring home an early run despite putting at least one runner on base in each of the first five innings, but the Trojans (36-19, 17-12) capitalized on their early opportunity. They took their first lead of the series, 1-0, in the opening inning behind a single, a walk and sacrifice fly from center fielder Timmy Robinson.
There were two lead changes and three ties in the middle innings to send the game into a 3-3 knot midway through the seventh before a bases-clearing triple in the bottom half of the frame staked the Trojans a late advantage.
Bielek tied the game at one run apiece in the top of the sixth with a leadoff home run, his second in as many games. Designated hitter RJ Ybarra followed with a double and catcher Zach Cerbo put runners at the corners with a bunt single to set the stage for second baseman Andrew Snow, who drove a long fly ball to left-center field to push the Devils ahead, 2-1.
USC used three hits in the bottom half of the sixth, including a solo homer by Robinson and a RBI single by designated hitter David Oppenheim, to take its second lead, 3-2. The Devils battled back in the ensuing frame as Woodmansee's RBI double, which followed a single from Allen, tied the game at three runs apiece.
The Trojans countered again with fours runs in the home half of the seventh to retake the lead, 7-3. Kellogg struck out the first batter he faced in the inning, but issued a single and a walk and was replaced by right-hander Ryan Burr. Burr walked Robinson on four pitches and brought second baseman Dante Flores to the plate. Flores knocked a fly ball to the outfield on a 0-1 count and center fielder Johnny Sewald narrowly missed making the second out of the inning on a diving play as the ball rolled to the fence for a bases-clearing triple.
USC right-hander Brent Wheatley (4-3) scattered two runs on four hits in four relief innings to earn the win. Starting left-hander Kyle Twomey tossed five scoreless innings before he conceded a leadoff home run in the sixth and was chased with runners on the corners and no outs. He was responsible for both runs in the frame and allowed seven hits and struck out two in a no-decision.
