BYRNES, UCLA PACK PUNCH\After flooring intruder, Bruin helps upset USC\UCLA 12, USC 7.

Byline: Eric Sondheimer Daily News Deputy Sports Editor 

There are far better ways to prepare for a UCLA-USC baseball game than what Bruins All-Pacific-10 outfielder Eric Byrnes experienced Saturday morning at his apartment in Westwood.

At 5 a.m., he woke up and discovered an intruder snooping in his room. Not knowing whether the man was armed or not, Byrnes jumped out of bed and knocked the man down with one punch to his face. "There was blood all over the place," Byrnes said. "I said, 'Who are you?' "

After police arrived and arrested the man, Byrnes went back to sleep. Hours later, he had a single, double and three RBI in helping UCLA upset No. 3-rated USC 12-7 at Jackie Robinson Stadium.

"Another day in L.A.," Byrnes said.

It was an important win for the Bruins (16-9, 7-3), who pulled to within one game of the first-place Trojans (20-6, 8-2) in the Pac-10 Southern Division race.

UCLA overcame deficits of 4-1 and 7-4. The Bruins finally went ahead for good by breaking a 7-7 tie in the seventh inning on Benny Craig's two-run pinch-hit home run to right. It highlighted a six-run seventh that also featured Byrnes' two-run double.

UCLA left-hander Jim Parque (5-0) went the distance, striking out six. He shut out the Trojans over the final four innings. USC starter Randy Flores, who entered the game with a 28-4 career pitching record, lasted only five innings after he failed to gain command of his curveball.

UCLA received three hits apiece from shortstop Jack Santora and first baseman Troy Glaus, plus two hits and three RBI from freshman center fielder Eric Valent.

Craig's home run was the first in his three-year collegiate career.

"It's about time," he said. "I've hit my share in practice, but everybody hits the ball strong in practice, so it's hard to get into the lineup. The thing is I've had a bunch of chances. Usually, I try to hit one. This time, I didn't try."

Afterward, Byrnes was trying to explain his loss of innocence in L.A. He's from a small Northern California town where he never locked his door at night. He and his roommates didn't lock their door Friday, either. But when faced with a tough decision, Byrnes acted.

"If I'm going down, I'm not going to wait for the guy to pull out a knife," he said. "I consider myself lucky. I'm not used to this stuff."

Asked what he learned from the experience, Byrnes said, "This is not the place to leave your door open."

Byrnes, though, couldn't have been happier with UCLA's win in the first of a three-game series with the Trojans. It was UCLA's first game in 12 days.

"It helps the team morale since we lost two out of three from Arizona," he said. "It gets us back believing in ourselves."

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UCLA's Benny Craig is greeted after his go-ahead home run in seventh inning. Hans Gutknecht / Daily News