TUCSON, Ariz. – Randy Labaut pitched six, one-hit innings to pace the Arizona Wildcats to a 5-1 win over the USC Trojans on Saturday night at Hi Corbett Field.
 
Labaut earned the first win of his career, and went a career-long six innings to help the Arizona Wildcats secure a series victory over USC, in front of 3,768 fans. The victory lifted the Cats to 19-7 on the season, 4-4 in league play and 15-0 at home. USC is now 15-10 and 4-4 in Pac-12 play.
 
Arizona will now go for the series sweep Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. Rio Gomez is the scheduled starter.
 
The Trojans struck first Saturday, plating a run in the first inning off Labaut. Leadoff hitter David Edson walked to put a man on right away and then came around to score on a one-out triple from No. 3 hitter Lars Nootbaar.
 
But the triple from Nootbaar was the only hit Labaut would surrender over six strong inning. The freshman lefty went on to throw six innings, allowing just the one run on the one hit. He struck out four and walked three in just his second career start. The effort was good enough to give Labaut his first career win.
 
His offense got the freshman left-hander enough run support after Labaut's lone misstep in the first. Still trailing 1-0, the Cats scored two in the third to take the lead for the first time. Louis Boyd walked with one out and then moved up a base on a two-out single from Alfonso Rivas. With two on and two outs, Jared Oliva singled to score Boyd. He moved up to second on the throw and Rivas went all the way to third. Rivas then scored on a wild pitch to give the Cats the lead.
 
Labaut worked scoreless innings in the fourth and fifth to preserve the lead and then got some more help from his offense. In the bottom of the fifth, Boyd walked again to lead off the inning. After a sacrifice bunt and a strikeout, Oliva again came up with a runner in scoring position and two outs. Again, the junior came through, singling to center on a two-strike, two-out pitch to score Boyd and make it 3-1.
 
JJ  Matijevic then came up with Oliva on and crushed a two-run home run to right-centerfield to make it 5-1. Matijevic's home run, which hit the top of Arizona's Intimidator Wall, was the third of the season and 10^th of his career for Matijevic.  That capped the scoring for the Cats and the game, with all five runs coming for the Wildcats with two outs.
 
After Labaut exited, sophomore right-hander Cody Deason closed it out in style. Deason tossed three hitless innings, walking one and striking out five to earn the first save of his career. The Ojai, California native hasn't allowed an earned run in his last six appearances, spanning 11 2/3 innings. Labaut and Deason combined to make USC hitters go 1-for-26 with nine strikeouts.
 
Oliva had his second straight multiple-hit game, going 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored. Rivas went 1 for 3 with a run and Matijevic was 1 for 4 with his two-run home run.