A two-run homer and Griffin Canning were all UCLA baseball needed to beat USC at Dedeaux Field on Thursday night.
The junior starter threw a season-high 134 pitches to put up a complete-game shutout, striking out 10 and scattering seven hits with one walk en route to the Bruins’ (22-20, 11-8 Pac-12) 2-0 victory over the Trojans (19-23, 6-13).
Even when USC threatened to steal the game with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth, Canning came through with timely pitches to keep the Trojans off the board.
Canning’s performance comes six days after the righty attempted the same feat, but had to settle for a victory and 8 2/3 innings pitched.
Chase Strumpf gave the Bruins their only runs of the game in the second inning. The freshman second baseman sent a home run to left center that scored fellow freshman right fielder Michael Toglia, who had just doubled.
UCLA’s offense totaled seven hits on the evening, with two coming from Strumpf and another pair coming from junior first baseman Sean Bouchard.
Strumpf and Toglia were the only Bruin baserunners to make it past second base, and UCLA went down in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.
UCLA will play another road game against USC on Friday at 7 p.m. The Bruins will send senior Moises Ceja (2-4, 2.96 ERA) to the hill, and the Trojans will counter with freshman righty Chris Clarke (4-1, 5.64 ERA).
