4-6
USC
10-0
Cal Poly Suffers 16-2 Setback in Game Three Versus No. 25 USC
2/28/2026 11:30:00 PM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Third baseman Maximo Martinez drove in five runs with a grand slam and RBI double while four USC pitchers combined on a five-hitter as the No. 25 Trojans clinched the weekend series with a 16-2 victory over Cal Poly on Saturday afternoon.
In winning the first three games of the series by a combined 26-2 margin, USC preserved its perfect start to the 2026 season at 10-0. Cal Poly fell to 4-6 with its fifth straight loss.
Martinez singled twice, doubled once and his grand slam in the fifth inning capped a five-run rally and staked the Trojans to a 14-1 advantage. USC scored its final two runs in the seventh.
Shut out in the first two games of the series, Cal Poly tallied single runs in the first and seventh frames Saturday.
Nate Castellon doubled with one out in the first inning, took third on a ground out and scored on a USC fielding error. The Trojans scored the next 16 runs of the game after falling behind 1-0 before the Mustangs tallied their second run of the weekend on a solo blast off the bat of Ryan Tayman in the seventh, his second home run of the year.
Sophomore right-hander Grant Govel (3-0) pitched seven innings for the win, scattering four hits with six strikeouts and no walks. The loss was charged to Laif Palmer (1-2), Cal Poly's transfer from Oregon State, as he allowed six runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings. Southpaw Brady Estes was the most effective Mustang pitcher Saturday, securing seven outs without giving up a run or a hit with three strikeouts.
Castellon collected two of Cal Poly's five hits, including a double, while Tayman also finished with a pair of safeties, including the home run.
Martinez was 4-for-5 at the plate for USC and Adrian Lopez and Jack Basseer each contributed three hits to the Trojans' 21-hit offensive attack.
Final game of the series will be played Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. with Cal Poly junior right-hander Carson Turnquist (0-0, 2.25 ERA) making his second start of the season, facing USC sophomore right-hander Andrew Johnson (2-0, 0.90 ERA).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Govel, Grant (3-0)
L: Palmer, Laif (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Martinez, Maximo 3
3B: Lopez, Adrian 1
HR: Basser, Jack 1 ; Takeuchi, Kevin 1 ; Martinez, Maximo 1
RBI: Covarrubias, Abbrie 1 ; Basser, Jack 2 ; Tejeda, Richard 1 ; Lopez, Adrian 2 ; Riske, Maddox 2 ; Takeuchi, Kevin 1 ; Martinez, Maximo 5 ; Cadena, Isaac 1
SH: Lamb, Andrew 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Covarrubias, Abbrie 1 ; Basser, Jack 3 ; Lopez, Adrian 1 ; Riske, Maddox 2 ; Lamb, Andrew 2 ; Takeuchi, Kevin 1 ; Martinez, Maximo 3 ; Cadena, Isaac 1 ; Ibarra, Isaiah 1 ; Woodson, Hayden 1
SB: Lamb, Andrew 1
CS: Riske, Maddox 1
HBP: Tejeda, Richard 1
Batting:
2B: Castellon, Nate 1
HR: Tayman, Ryan 1
RBI: Tayman, Ryan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Castellon, Nate 1 ; Tayman, Ryan 1
