Baseball: Sperring's Hit Lifts Baugh Past HBU
3/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
- Box Score
HOUSTON -- Jayme Sperring knocked in both Rice runs with a first-inning single, and Kenny Baugh outdueled Houston Baptist's Michael Banks to make it stand up in a 2-1 Owl win over the Huskies Friday night at Reckling Park.
Sperring laced a 1-2 pitch from Banks (3-2) into leftfield to score the Owls' only runs of the game. After two were out, Jason Gray walked and Eric Arnold was hit by a pitch. The two executed a double steal to set up Sperring's hit.
Baugh (5-0) had to work out of trouble in the first. Justin Syfert and David Dorner led off the game with singles against the Owls' ace, but were left stranded when Baugh struck out Blaise Bellard to end the inning.
The Huskies scored their only run in the fourth. Chris Fadal's single, Taylor Holladay's single and a walk to T.J. Maldonado loaded the bases. The run scored on a walk to Mike Schraeder, but Baugh struck out Syfert to end the threat.
After the first, Banks stymied the Owls the rest of the night. The most serious threat came in the fifth when Mitch Ackal led off with a double, but a ground out and a line out stranded him at third.
Baugh's victory was his third complete game of the season and his 16th consecutive winning decision.
Rice is now 11-13 on the season, while HBU falls to 16-6. The teams will play the second game of the two-game series Saturday afternoon (2 pm CST) at Reckling.