TROJANS CAN'T BE SAVED FROM SWEEP USC GIVES UP 5-RUN LEAD, STARTS OFF 0-3 LONG BEACH STATE 8, USC 6.Byline: Heather Gripp Staff Writer LONG BEACH - Coach Mike Gillespie There are 3 sports coaches with the name Mike Gillespie:
Long Beach State completed the sweep Sunday with an 8-6 victory in front of a crowd of 1,786 at Blair Field Blair Field is a stadium in Long Beach, California. It originally opened in 1956 and is primarily used for baseball. It holds 3,238 people. Located in Recreation Park, Blair Field is one of the few semi-professional baseball facilities in California. . The Dirtbags won their second consecutive victory off Trojans junior closer Paul Koss, with a two-run, eighth-inning triple by Danny Espinosa capping their rally from a five-run deficit. Koss (0-2), whose 14 saves last season as a sophomore ranked fifth in school history, has allowed four runs on four hits, a hit batter and a bases-loaded walk in 1 2/3 innings this season. That doesn't include the three inherited runners In baseball statistics, inherited runners, or inherited baserunners, are the runners on base when a relief pitcher enters the game. Since a previous pitcher has allowed these runners to reach base (or was simply pitching when the runners reached base, such as in the case of a he allowed to score Sunday. ``We have to have him,'' Gillespie said. ``He has to pitch in that role. He will continue to pitch in that role. We simply have to keep him going. We have to try and shore up his now no doubt sagging confidence. This was very difficult for him and for all of us to deal with.'' After surrendering an eighth-inning home run to Sean Boatright that gave Long Beach State the lead Saturday, Koss walked Boatright to force in a run against the first batter he faced in the seventh inning Sunday. Jordan Strubble followed with a two-run double that evened the score 6-6. USC didn't have anyone warming up in the bullpen while Koss continued to unravel in the eighth. With healthy arms at a premium, there weren't many other options. Junior right-hander Josh Fogel, expected to be a valuable middle reliever, is likely out for the season after leaving Friday's game with an injured in·jure tr.v. in·jured, in·jur·ing, in·jures 1. To cause physical harm to; hurt. 2. To cause damage to; impair. 3. elbow. He's scheduled to have an MRI 1. (application) MRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging. 2. MRI - Measurement Requirements and Interface. on the elbow this week, but the Trojans are fearing the worst for the player who has already had Tommy John surgery Tommy John surgery, known by doctors as ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction (or UCL), is a surgical procedure in which a ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with a tendon from elsewhere in the body (often from the forearm, hamstring, knee, or foot of the . Two other USC pitchers will miss the season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Freshman right-hander Ryan Cook Ryan Cook is the name of:
Matt Cusick, Blake Sharpe, Lucas Duda and Shawn Olsen each had two of USC's 10 hits. Cyle Hankerd drove in the run that put the Trojans up 5-0 in the fourth. ``You lose three, it's hard to be mindful that there were positives. But there were,'' Gillespie said. The last time USC started a season 0-3 was in 1981, when it was swept by Miami. Heather Gripp, (818) 713-3607 heather.gripp(at)dailynews.com |
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