Los Angeles, CA (U-WIRE) -- The No. 23 USC Trojans won a wild four-hour marathon in their Pac-10 baseball opener against Arizona State at Dedeaux Field by a score of 9-8 Thursday.

The Trojans (14-6, 1-0 Pacific-10 Conference) came back from a 4-2 deficit and were leading, 9-4 after six innings, but gave up four runs in the seventh, almost allowing ASU (16-13, 0-1 Pac-10) to come back and spoil pitcher Ian Kennedy's performance.

After Kennedy exited with a comfortable 9-4 lead at the end of the sixth, the bullpen imploded in the seventh, allowing four doubles, a single, and a wild pitch, which let the Sun Devils to score four runs and come within a run of the Trojans.

Enter closer Paul Koss.

Koss pitched brilliantly and earned his fourth save as he allowed zero runs and just one hit in 2 2/3 innings to end the game.

Trojan ace Kennedy started and did not have his greatest stuff, but was still effective, allowing four runs and striking out nine in six innings of work.

He earned the win and improved to 3-1 on the season.

ASU pitcher Brett Bordes earned the loss and fell to 1-3.

The Sun Devils controlled the first half of the game and led, 4-2, in the fifth inning.

The USC fifth inning was a crazy one as the first five batters of the inning either walked or were hit by pitch to score two runs.

First baseman Lucas Duda and Baron Frost followed with bases loaded RBI singles to extend the lead to 6-4.

A total of four Sun Devil pitchers were used in the fifth inning with pitcher Tony Bardette closing out the inning after Travis Buck's diving stop at third base to save at least two runs on a hard line drive by second baseman Matt Cusick.

The Trojans had a wild sixth inning offensively as they added three more runs.

USC had two hits to open the inning and then three straight walks before Trojan right fielder Darin Vieira hit an RBI single that knocked in third basemen Billy Hart, who proved to be the game-winning run.

USC shortstop Blake Sharpe went 3-for-4 with three runs, and left fielder Cyle Hankerd was 2-for-3 with two RBI.

The Trojans play the Sun Devils again tonight at 6 p.m. and tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. at Dedeaux Field.

(C) 2004 Daily Trojan via U-WIRE