LOS ANGELES – Andrew Vaughn joined a noteworthy club of power hitters but the Cal baseball team surrendered big innings in both the third and fourth to give host USC a lead it never gave back as the Bears fell 11-4 in the first of three games at Dedeaux Field.
 
Cal (25-18, 10-12 Pac-12) took the first lead of the evening and it came courtesy of one swing of Vaughn's bat. Hitting in the No. 2 hole for the first time, Vaughn launched Kyle Hurt's first offering to right-center for a solo home run that put the Bears up 1-0.
 
The round-tripper is Vaughn's 20^th on the season and makes him the fourth Golden Bear to enter the 20-home run club as he joins Xavier Nady (23, 1999), Troy Penix (22, 1992) and Mike Harrison (21, 1990). Vaughn has 32 career home runs in less than two seasons as a Golden Bear, tying him with Lance Blankenship (1983-86) for sixth on Cal's all-time list.
 
Vaughn's home run aside, a warm night in Los Angeles belonged to USC (20-21, 8-14). The Trojans exploded for six runs in the third and five more in the fourth, taking a lead that Cal would never make up.
 
An RBI ground out by Jonah Davis in the sixth plated Cal's second run and the Bears pushed two more across in the seventh courtesy of a bases loaded walk by Tyrus Greene and RBI single by Vaughn. Cal's first baseman finished the evening 3 for 5 and the Bears collected nine hits as a team with Jeffrey Mitchell Jr. and Cameron Eden each recording two.
 
Cal and USC return to Dedeaux Field on Saturday at 2 p.m. for game two of their three-game series. Jared Horn will get the ball for Cal and is scheduled to be opposed by USC's Quentin Longrie. The Bears and Trojans wrap up the weekend on Sunday at 1 p.m. with Aaron Shortridge toeing the slab for Cal and Solomon Bates pitching for USC.