Prior Gets Stage to Himself

The fans, scouts and major league general managers who came to Dedeaux Field Friday night expecting a showdown between aces Mark Prior of USC and Josh Karp of UCLA were disappointed when Karp was scratched because of an injury.

Prior, however, put on a show and continued to cement his reputation as the most dominant college pitcher in the nation as No. 6 USC defeated the Bruins, 2-0, in the opening game of a Pacific 10 Conference series.

Prior (12-1) gave up six hits, struck out 14 and did not walk a batter in his third shutout and fifth complete game of the season. Ed Wade and Cam Bonifay, general managers of the Philadelphia Phillies and Pittsburgh Pirates, respectively, looked on as the 6-foot-6 junior right-hander--regarded as the possible top pick in the upcoming amateur draft--struck out all but one Bruin starter and pitched the Trojans into a first-place tie with third-ranked Stanford in the Pac-10.

USC, which won two of three games against Stanford last weekend, is 30-16 and 11-5 in the Pac-10. Stanford, which lost to California Friday, is 32-11 and 11-5.

“With Stanford losing, we’re in control of our own destiny,” said Prior, who continues to display remarkable control for a power pitcher.

Prior has 149 strikeouts and has walked only 12 in 100 2/3 innings. Friday night’s outing lowered his earned-run average to 1.07 overall and 0.34 in conference.

“Every outing has been a variation of excellent, great and very good,” USC Coach Mike Gillespie said. “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

Karp missed his start because of a strained groin and is not expected to pitch in this series for the Bruins (25-18, 6-7 in the Pac-10)--losers of six in a row.

Right-hander Paul Diaz (3-1), a fifth-year senior, started in Karp’s place and settled down after balking in a run in the first inning. He gave up Seth Davidson’s first homer of the season in the third, but allowed only six hits and no walks in 7 2/3 innings.

UCLA had two runners on with no outs in the fourth inning, but Prior struck out the next two batters and got a ground-ball out to end the threat. The Bruins started the sixth with a bunt single by Josh Canales and a single by Matt Pearl, but Pearl was forced at second on a ground ball by Brian Baron, and Prior got Ben Francisco to hit into a double play.

The Trojans also turned a double play in the seventh after a leadoff single by John Campanella.

Campanella almost tied the score in the ninth after Francisco’s one-out single, but left-fielder Josh Self caught Campanella’s drive at the wall. Prior got Josh Arhart to ground out to third to end the game.