Southern California Endures For East Coast Split

DURHAM, N.C.—For all the lumps it took over the weekend, Southern California is returning home with a split of its East Coast trip.

Mason Perryman pitched six scoreless innings, Corey Dempster homered and the Trojans beat Duke 2-0 on Monday to wrap up their four-game swing through North Carolina.

“We felt like this road trip would be a good test and it was,” USC coach Dan Hubbs said. “For us to go into ACC country and get a split, I think I’ll take that right now.”

The Trojans (6-2) emerged from the trip successful despite an inauspicious beginning. USC’s pitching staff got lit up for 42 runs in its three-game series against Wake Forest over the weekend, with its lone win coming by a score of 15-9.

With the Trojans staff exhausted and battered, Perryman delivered the type of outing his team needed. The junior righthander limited Duke (3-6) to four hits, all singles, walked one and struck out one. Only one Blue Devil advanced past first base against him.

The 6-foot-6 Bakersfield native sat just 84-86 mph with his fastball and in the upper 70s with his changeup and slider but was pinpoint in his precision, drawing early contact throughout and needing only 72 pitches to get through his outing.

“I try to keep my pitch count down so I can extend a little bit,” Perryman said. “I know the kind of guy I am. I haven’t been a big power guy in college. I know if I can just locate the ball and pitch down in the zone, the results will be OK.”

Sophomore righthander Solomon Bates pitched a scoreless seventh and freshman lefthander Austin Manning pitched the final two innings to complete the shutout and earn his first career save. Manning sat 88-91 mph with his fastball and recorded three strikeouts, throwing 22 of his 31 pitches for strikes.

“For Manning to come in and do that as a freshman is big time,” Hubbs said. “He’s a guy we’re going to expect to be really good. He’s been good all fall, he was good all spring leading up to it . . . to come in here against Duke to close it out, that’s pretty nice to see. “

USC led the Pac-12 in batting last season but finished 28-28 (15-15 in conference) because of a pitching staff that ranked eighth in the conference with a 4.51 ERA.

After a weekend where it looked like the Trojans pitching would once again short-circuit their chance at victory, Monday provided a glimpse of hope that things are getting better.

“It’s really big for us to be able to show some kind of poise and come out and battle in a tough game after a long weekend,” Perryman said. “I think it’s huge for us not only experience-wise, but in the records as well.”

NEWS AND NOTES

Dempster launched a solo home run over the 30-foot wall in left field in the third inning to open the scoring. It was the senior outfielder’s second straight game with a homer. He finished 3-for-4.

Freshman outfielder Matthew Acosta delivered Southern California’s other run with an aggressive play in the seventh. Acosta broke home from third on a steal attempt and Duke catcher Chris Dutra dropped the incoming pitch, allowing Acosta to slide in safely. It wasn’t technically a steal of home because Dutra was charged with an error, but it was an exciting play nonetheless that got the Trojans leaping out of their dugout.

Trojans shortstop Frankie Rios was removed after the first inning with a strained oblique sustained on a swing. Hubbs said he is day-to-day pending further evaluation. Rios is the second major USC player to go down to injury. Righthander C.J. Stubbs has been out since the start of the year with a flexor strain and is expected to miss one to two more weeks, Hubbs said.

Duke outfielder Jimmy Herron and first baseman Justin Bellinger had two hits each against Perryman, the Blue Devils’ only hits off of him. Bellinger finished 3-for-4.