“It ain’t over till it’s over” was the mindset USC baseball seemed to have Thursday during the first game of its series against Gonzaga.

The Trojans (25-14, 11-7 Big Ten) were off to more than a rocky start. In the first, third and fifth innings, Gonzaga (18-17, 10-2 West Coast) scored multiple unmatched runs, building an 8-0 lead by the top of the fifth inning.

Gonzaga sophomore pitcher Finbar O’Brien set the tone, tossing four commanding innings and taking a no-hitter into the bottom of the fifth.

Despite the steep and daunting deficit, USC didn’t yield. The Trojans impressively accumulated three reactive runs in both the fifth and sixth innings, cutting the deficit to 8-6 and breaking up O’Brien’s no-hit bid.

Leading off the fifth inning, sophomore infielder Adrian Lopez began the Trojan disruption of O’Brien’s blockade by hitting a triple and eventually scoring on an RBI double from sophomore catcher and outfielder Andrew Lamb.

Freshman pitcher Ben Cushnie threw perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, further contributing to the Trojan momentum, but USC was unable to even the score in the seventh inning. The matchup turned into a real pitcher’s duel between the Trojan and Bulldog bullpens.

Throughout the eighth, neither pitcher allowed any runs again. The passion on the field was palpable as the two-run game was a few swings away from becoming level, with the Trojans stranding a pair of runners on base.

However, it was redshirt sophomore infielder Mikey Bell in the ninth who hit a home run, scoring the final run of the game and padding Gonzaga’s lead. The Trojans put up a commendable fight, but the Bulldogs claimed victory in the first game of the series 9-6.

Gonzaga may have held on to win the first game, but ultimately it was the Trojans who bounced back and took the series two games to one.

On Friday, USC senior pitcher Caden Aoki allowed only one run to Gonzaga in the first four innings, while the Trojans provided impressive run support for their pitcher, bringing home four runs by the end of the fourth inning.

The fifth inning took an exciting turn when Bulldogs redshirt junior infielder and outfielder Gage Mestas, senior infielder Ty Yukumoto and junior catcher and former Trojan Luca DiPaolo, joined by sophomore catcher Jacob Wrubleski, all delivered clutch swings that brought home three Bulldog runs, knotting the score at four.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, when they had some opportunities to take the lead late, they were unable to capitalize. The Trojan bullpen delivered some clutch pitching with runners on base.

On offense, Lopez stayed on top of his game, bringing home redshirt junior infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek with an RBI double. Lopez had three RBIs in the game, also delivering a two-run homer in the first inning.

The score remained at 6-5 until a Bulldog fielding error gifted USC three runs, resulting in a final score of 9-5. As tired as they must’ve been, and much like with any nine to five, the Trojans and the Bulldogs prepared to do it all again the following day to break the series tie.

By Saturday, the series was split. The game, however, quickly dissolved any perceived tension that could have been associated with a series tiebreaker. The mercy rule was employed in the finale after the Trojans led 11-1 by the eighth inning. For Gonzaga, it was over before it was actually over.

Both teams struggled to score at the start of the game, but the Trojans struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. The Bulldogs responded with one run in the fourth by junior infielder Hudson Shupe, who scored on a wild pitch to cut into the deficit.

The next four innings entailed a Trojan run of nine unanswered that was only stopped by the 10-run mercy rule taking effect in the bottom of the eighth after USC scored five straight runs in one frame. Many Trojans contributed to the 11-run offensive explosion, including the usual mainstays such as Lopez and Martin-Grudzielanek.

However, junior outfielder Jack Basseer hadn’t played in the previous games of the series, but scored three runs for USC in the closing game, a season high. Basseer hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning before scoring during the eighth inning rally.

Once the score reached 11-1, Gonzaga was shown mercy, and USC claimed victory in the game and the series.

The Trojan tetrad of sophomore pitchers Jackson Baker, Sax Matson and Brodie Purcell worked together to post four consecutive innings without a single Bulldog run.

Osborne threw 3.2 innings and struck out three Bulldogs before being pulled for Baker midway through the fourth. Baker was dominant, retiring all four batters he faced, striking out three of them. USC has now won six consecutive series and continues to perform well in Big Ten play.

The Trojans will next take on Long Beach State (15-21, 9-12 Big West) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before heading to the Midwest for a three-game series with Minnesota (20-18, 7-11 Big Ten) over the weekend.