A walk and two singles loaded the bases for No. 21 USC baseball in the fourth inning with no outs. Down one run, this was the perfect opportunity for the Trojans to come back in the game, extend their winning streak to five, and take care of a struggling UC Irvine squad that had lost three of its last four matchups.

A sacrifice fly from junior outfielder Andrew Lamb had the game tied as junior infielder Abbrie Covarrubias stepped up to the plate. Covarrubias — who came into the game hitting .533 over his last four games with six RBIs — was the perfect player to put the Trojans ahead of the Anteaters.

After working a 2-2 count, Covarrubias hit a ball to Irvine’s first baseman, who threw it to junior shortstop Zach Fjelstad for the second out. Covarrubias beat out the throw to first; runners were now on the corners for sophomore utility player Maximo Martinez. On the first pitch, Martinez grounded a ball to freshman third baseman Lucas Schermer, who threw out Martinez, ending the Trojans’ rally and chances of scoring.

USC (34-12, 16-8 Big Ten) would fail to score another run, as UC Irvine (19-23, 9-12 Big West) defeated the Trojans 4-1 on Tuesday night at Cicerone Field, despite all but one of USC’s pitchers no-hitting the Anteaters for a combined 6 1/3 innings.

The Trojans’ loss marks a continuation of their struggles in weekday games: they have now dropped four of their last six Tuesday matchups. Playing on the road has also become an issue for USC, which has lost nine of its past 10 road games, for an overall record of 9-11 away from Dedeaux Field.

Stagnant offense records just five hits

In a very quiet game on the offensive front, the Trojans’ bats were held at bay by a variety of Anteaters, including starting pitcher freshman Hunter Manning. Manning — in his first college start — struck out five batters across two innings, setting the table for the Anteater relievers.

Junior outfielder Kevin Takeuchi, who blasted two home runs in the previous homestand, was on a tear coming into Tuesday night. Despite only recording one hit in four at-bats, he remains one of the Trojans’ best hitters, leading the team in hits with 52 and 43 RBIs.

Another productive outfielder was senior Jack Basseer, who also recorded a single in the loss. Although he has had limited playing time this year, he has made the best of it: Basseer is now hitting .337 in 27 games with six home runs and 21 RBIs.

Junior catcher Isaac Cadena was the only other source of offense, hitting two singles that lifted his season average to .273. A spot at the top of the order is quickly becoming familiar to the lefty, who continues to find his groove in each passing game after a slow start to the season.

Herrell struggles; other pitchers find success

Despite struggles from redshirt sophomore Chase Herrell, the rest of the pitching staff no-hit the Anteaters in the other 6 1/3 innings.

After undergoing season-ending Tommy John surgery with Oregon State last season, redshirt sophomore pitcher Matthew Morrell made his first appearance with the Trojans on Tuesday night, facing just three batters in a 14-pitch start before suffering another injury that has yet to be clarified. He gave up the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly after walking the first batter he faced.

Graduate reliever Henry Chabot, who would replace the injured right-hander, got out of the first inning by striking out Irvine redshirt junior Alonso Reyes.

After Chabot, freshman Diego Velazquez had the best outing of his college career, facing the minimum across three innings and fanning three on just 36 pitches. Velazquez has continued to ramp up his workload in each appearance, eclipsing three frames for the first time all season.

The Anteaters were hitless until redshirt sophomore Chase Herrell stepped on the mound at Cicerone Field in the bottom of the fifth inning. He allowed a leadoff single that would come around to score for the first of three two-out runs. Two more hits, a walk and one error later led to Irvine taking a three-run lead it wouldn’t relinquish.

Herrell’s season-long struggles would continue into his next inning of work before he was taken out for sophomore Ben Cushnie. Cushnie provided some much-needed relief, finishing the last 2 1/3 innings with one walk and two strikeouts.

The Trojans will look to put Tuesday’s loss behind them as they trudge back to Dedeaux Field to take on a decent Rutgers (22-23, 9-12) squad. The Scarlet Knights are currently tied for ninth in the Big Ten standings, but a series win could move them into an ideal position for the conference tournament during the middle of May.

For Rutger’s offense, USC’s dominant pitching staff will have to look out for senior catchers Matt Chatelle and Trey Wells, who both are hitting over .300 with 40 hits and 21 RBIs. On the mound, Rutgers’ biggest weakness has by far been its pitching staff. While the team has accumulated an ERA of 5.33, the three weekend starters have an average ERA of 5.15 and a combined record of 10-9.

Junior Mason Edwards and Rutgers redshirt sophomore Zack Konstantinovsky will face off on the mound as USC takes on Rutgers in the first of a three-game series Friday at Dedeaux Field at 7 p.m.