Long Beach State escaped Columbia, S.C. with a 10-7 win by beating 25th-ranked USC at their own power game Sunday afternoon.
Junior Steve Tinoco had a career-day going 5-for-5, scoring four runs and hitting three solo home runs.
The first baseman had just three hits all season entering play Sunday and three home runs in his career at Long Beach State.
Derek Legg added three hits while Jonathan Jones and Jordan Casas had two apiece.
Freshman Andrew Gagnon (1-0) got his first collegiate win on the mound in five innings of work, giving up four runs while striking out seven, and Charlie Ruiz got his second save.
It was the first loss of the season for South Carolina (8-1).
The Dirtbags (3-7) dropped Saturday’s contest despite back-to-back homers in the first inning from Devin Lohman and TJ Mittelstaedt that gave LBSU an early 2-0 lead.
Adam Wilk (1-1) was the loser for The Beach going 4 2/3 innings and was charged with four earned runs.
In Friday night’s series opener, Legg went 3-for-4 and belted a ninth-inning grand slam but it wasn’t enough as LBSU fell to the Gamecocks, 15-8.
Jake Thompson (0-2) took the loss for LBSU, giving up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings and Tyler Topp got hit hard out of the bullpen, surrendering seven earned in just 3 2/3 innings of relief.
The Dirtbags found their power stroke over the weekend crushing seven homers in the three games after hitting only one in their first seven games.
LBSU is back at Blair Field for its next five games. The Dirtbags host San Diego on Tuesday with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.