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Sophomore Jamey Smart came to the plate in the ninth inning with the bases loaded, one out, and the Lions trailing by a run, but the native of San Ramon, Calif. hit into a game-ending 4-3 double play as #21 USC (2-2) escaped Page Stadium with a 4-3 victory over LMU (1-3) on Tuesday night.

LMU, playing its home opener in front of 1,037 fans, trailed 4-1 headed into the bottom of the ninth, but managed to score a pair of runs to make things interesting. Pinch-hitter Ryan Erickson led off the inning with walk, one of seven on the night for LMU, off reliever Marc Huberman, before Jimmy Hill III singled to shortstop to put two men aboard. Ted Boeke, who finished 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, contributed an RBI-single off the wall in left, leaving runners at first and second and nobody out. A sacrifice bunt from Joe Murray moved the runners up 90 feet before a walk to Austin Miller loaded the bags. Following a pitching change that brought Jeff Paschke to the mound for the Trojans, junior Spencer Erdman, who has hit safely in all four games for the Lions this year, came up with an RBI-single to right field to cut the deficit to one at 4-3, but Boeke was held at third as the throw came into second base. Needing a double play to convert the save, Paschke got a one-hopper to Frankie Rios at second, who stepped on the bag and fired to first to hand USC the win.

LMU's only other run in the game came in the third as Boeke answered a solo shot from Adalberto Carillo with a round-tripper of his own to knot the tally at 1-1.

USC scratched a second run across in the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Angelo Armenta before pushing the lead to 4-1 on a two-run homer from Timmy Robinson off reliever Michael Silva in the sixth.

LMU starter Brenton Arriaga tossed the first 5.2 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out a pair in a losing effort. Junior Blake Redman, who threw 3.1 scoreless innings to earn a victory on Friday at #11 TCU, contributed 2.0 scoreless to finish the game on the hill.

Freshman CJ Stubbs earned the victory for USC, throwing 6.0 innings and allowing just the Boeke home run while striking out one. Paschke, after inducing the game-ending double play, was credited with his first save of the year. The double play turned for USC was the lone of the night, while LMU managed three in the loss.

Dillon Paulson paced the Trojan offense, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

LMU will return to action on Friday when it travels to San Jose State to start a three-game series at 6 p.m.