Trojans knocked around by Fresno State

LOS ANGELES - For USC to truly be great, Coach Dan Hubbs estimates it will take at least 10 pitchers contributing to the cause.

Identifying those pieces is a top priority for a program working not only toward its first NCAA playoff appearance in a decade but with the pieces perhaps good enough to reach Omaha.

No wonder, then, Hubbs had such a long hook in an otherwise forgettable nonconference loss. He allowed each of his first four pitchers to try and work out of jams. Had one or two of them been able to do so, USC might have beaten Fresno State.

Instead, the Bulldogs secured their first road victory of the season while pounding out 17 hits en route to a 14-7 win at Dedeaux Field.

It was the Trojans' third Tuesday-night defeat in as many tries.

"We're going to need those guys to be good," Hubbs said of his non-core starting pitchers. "For us to be really good, we can't rely on three or four guys to do it. For the most part, everybody's been pitching well all year."

With Brent Wheatley's status uncertain for this weekend after experiencing back issues last Friday, Hubbs held back Tyler Gilbert and put the ball in Mason Perryman's hands. The freshman had pitched well in his six appearances but was making only the second start of his young career.

Perryman wasn't able to get out of the third inning.

No. 8 USC (17-4), which had not allowed more than six runs in a game all season, allowed five runs in the third inning and eight runs before recording the 11th out against Fresno State (11-11).

"We left too many balls over the middle of the plate; we didn't do much but throw a fastball over the middle of the plate," Hubbs said. "If you have days like that you're going to get beat. It was disappointing because I thought we swung the bats real well."

The USC offense was the biggest positive from the blowout. The Trojans applied constant pressure, collecting 12 hits and scoring in five different innings. AJ Ramirez went 4 for 5 with three RBIs. His towering home run into the trees in right-center made it 8-4. Bobby Stahel had three hits, including a triple.

Ramirez and Stahel help cut the deficit to 10-7 in the seventh with RBI singles.

"The kids offensively did a great job trying to chase it down," Hubbs said. "Offensively, it was the best Tuesday we've had, in terms of our at-bats. They stayed with what they've been doing that makes them successful."

But Fresno State's success at the plate continued as well, as it tacked on four runs in the eighth inning to put the game out of reach. Jeff Paschke, after pitching a clean seventh, became the fourth Trojan of the evening to surrender multiple runs in an inning.

"What I'm trying to do is figure out who can do it and who can't," Hubbs said. "Especially as we get into league, I'm trying to figure out who can do what. We got to figure out someone who can get us out of a jam. We just have do a better job being prepared when we come in.

"That's on me to make sure that they're ready in the pen and locked in down there so that they can come in and get someone out right off the bat."

USC travels north this weekend for a three-game series at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The Trojans play at home again next Tuesday against Pepperdine.