In a contest that lasted just two hours, USC pitcher Wyatt Strahan shutout the Arizona Wildcats in a 1-0 win for the Trojans.
The Cats had a huge opportunity in the second inning, loading the bases with just one out. But Joseph Maggi and Zach Gibbons each struck out, ending what would be the last scoring chance all night.
It was Strahan's first complete-game shutout, in which he threw 131 pitches, walked two, scattered five hits, and struck out eight.
James Farris had arguably his best outing in Pac-12 play, getting an eight-inning complete game, allowing just six hits and not walking a batter. His six Ks push him up to 71 total this season, while walking just nine guys. That's pretty good, but again, wasn't quite enough.
The Trojans scored their only run in the first inning on a Jeremy Martinez single up the middle.
And then the Wildcats went back to their old ways of not being able to fight out of a deficit, no matter how small.
Trent Gilbert and Kevin Newman each picked up two hits on the night, but with the absence of Scott Kingery, Riley Moore was batting cleanup for some reason. So of course those hits went to waste, but Mathew Troupe doesn't want us to give up on Moore.
@azdesertswarm have faith Jason!
— Mathew Troupe (@MathewTroupe) April 18, 2014
@azdesertswarm alright I'll accept that!
— Mathew Troupe (@MathewTroupe) April 18, 2014
Let's just say I'm not ecstatic. Not yet.
It was also nice to have J.T. Snow on the call, and he'll be doing the other two games this weekend, both of which start at 7 PM on Pac-12 Networks. Cody Hamlin will go up against a pitcher yet to be determined, looking to even up the series. This is the fifth-straight series Arizona has dropped the opening game. That's not how good teams work.