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LOS ANGELES -- Kyle Davis tossed a shutout and AJ Ramirez homered in the third to lead USC past the Stanford baseball team, 1-0, in the opener of a three-game set at Dedeaux Field Friday night.
Stanford (20-27, 6-16 Pac-12) put four runners in scoring position against Davis (2-1), who was an all-conference reliever in 2014. The right-hander, making his second start of 2015, surrendered only six base hits and struck out 10.
Tommy Edman had a game-high three hits and was the only Stanford player to reach third when the Cardinal loaded the bases in the ninth. He led off the frame with a single up the middle and Zach Hoffpauir followed with the same. After two outs and a walk to Quinn Brodey, Alex Dunlap went down swinging to end the threat and the game.
Brodey reached scoring position twice, doing so in the fifth and seventh innings. He singled and stole in the fifth, before walking and advancing on a wild pitch in the seventh.
Brett Hanewich (3-5) shut down USC’s lineup through six innings, except for Ramirez’s two-out two-strike home run to the opposite field. Stanford’s sophomore righty scattered seven hits and struck out four, while walking one.
Gabe Cramer put up zeroes on USC during the seventh and eighth innings.
USC (33-15, 14-8 Pac-12) was paced by Ramirez, who also singled as part of a 2-for-3 day. Bobby Stahel went 2 for 4 out of the leadoff spot to bump his Trojan-best average to .395 and Blake Lacey singled twice.
The Cardinal suffered back-to-back shutout losses for the first time since dropping two straight at Oregon State in 2006.
The two teams meet again tomorrow night at 7 p.m. PT on Pac-12 Networks.