NCAA BASEBALL PLAYOFFS : Trojans Breeze in Opener, 23-5

Bret Boone homered twice and drove in four runs in a 23-hit attack used by USC to rout Southern Mississippi, 23-5, in Thursday’s first round of the NCAA South I Regional baseball tournament.

Phil Lewis homered, doubled and scored two runs as Houston beat Georgia Tech, 4-2, in the tournament opener. Host Louisiana State routed Southwestern Louisiana, 8-0, in the final first-round game.

USC (38-20) will play Houston in today’s second round of the double-elimination tournament. Boone’s first homer was part of USC’s four-run first inning. He added a solo shot in the third inning, his eighth of the year, to go with two doubles. John Jackson also had five runs batted in on a single and a double.

The Trojans set season highs for runs and hits in a game as every starter had at least one hit. In the seventh, USC sent 13 men to the plate with every batter scoring once.

“They just ran into a buzzsaw today,” said USC starting pitcher Randy Powers (11-2), who worked five scoreless innings.