Mustangs Stumble in Extras to No. 25 USC After Pitcher's Duel Deadlock

Friday, February 27

San Luis Obispo, CA

6:05 PM

4-5

USC

9-0

Southern California

Cal Poly

Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics

Mustangs Stumble in Extras to No. 25 USC After Pitcher's Duel Deadlock

2/27/2026 11:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After Cal Poly and Southern California battled through 10 scoreless innings, the No. 25 Trojans parlayed six hits, three walks and a wild pitch into six runs in the 11th to beat the Mustangs 6-0 in the second game of a four-game non-conference baseball series Friday night.

Before the largest crowd in Baggett since the UC Irvine series in April 2025, USC kept its record spotless at 9-0, its best start since the 2015 squad won its first 12 games. Cal Poly (4-5) suffered its fourth straight loss following a 4-1 start.

Coach Larry Lee's Mustangs struggled offensively for the second straight night, held hitless until one out in the bottom of the 11th when Nate Castellon's one-out grounder up the middle hit the second base bag and off the glove of Abbrie Covarrubias for an infield single. That extended Castellon's season-opening hitting streak to nine games.

Cal Poly was shut out for the second time in as many days. Last time the Mustangs suffered back-to-back shutouts was in 2024 when Texas blanked Cal Poly in all three games of an early-season series.

USC starter Mason Edwards pitched seven scoreless, hitless innings with 11 strikeouts while Sax Matson (1-0) tossed three innings of no-run, no-hit baseball for the win, striking out five. Diego Velasquez gave up the lone Mustang hit in the 11th after USC jumped to its 6-0 lead.

Key hits in the game-winning Trojan rally were a two-run double by Jack Basseer down the right-field line, a two-run single to right by Maddox Riske and a run-scoring single to right by Richard Tejeda. A wild pitch allowed the final run to come home.

Cal Poly had two runners on base in both the third and seventh innings for its only serious scoring threats of the game.

Mustang starter Griffin Naess struck out seven Trojans over 6 2/3 scoreless innings, scattering four hits. Nick Bonn worked three scoreless frames on the mound before he was relieved in the 10th by Sean McGrath (0-1), who suffered the loss.

Former Mustang outfielder Mitch Haniger, who enjoyed an eight-year Major League career with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners and San Francisco Giants, threw Friday's ceremonial pitch on Alumni Weekend celebrating the 25th anniversary of Baggett Stadium.

Third game of the series will be played Saturday at 3:05 p.m. with Cal Poly junior right-hander Laif Palmer (1-1, 4.50 ERA) to face USC sophomore right-hander Grant Govel (2-0, 0.00 ERA).

Sunday's series finale begins at 1:05 p.m.