Luna's Blast Helps Lift Rice Past UCF 4-2

Saturday, April 21

Reckling Park

2:00 PM

Rice University

32-11, 12-2

UCF

18-22, 1-10

UCF

Rice Owls

<b>Luna's day included a home run, triple and four RBI.</b>

4/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 21, 2007

Box Score

HOUSTON -- Sophomore Aaron Luna's three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning lifted the Rice baseball team to a 4-2 come-from victory over visiting UCF in the second game of a three-game Conference USA weekend series Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park in Houston.

The teams battled in a pitcher's duel between Rice's Ryne Tacker and UCF's Kyle Sweat in the early going. In the top of the second inning UCF third baseman Chris Duffey led off with a double to left-center and he advanced to third on a ground out to the right side. Duffey scored as Rice tried to turn a double play and Golden Knights had their first lead of the weekend series at 1-0.

In the top of the sixth UCF's Ryan Richardson hit a one-out double to left. He moved to third on a ground out and scored on a single through the right side by Kiko Vasquez for a 2-0 advantage.

The Owls came right back with a rally in the bottom of the frame for the team's first runs of the day. Junior Joe Savery started it off by stretching a single into a double and Jess Buenger knocked a base hit to put runners on the corners. Luna followed by blasting a three-run homer over the wall in right field. His seventh round-tripper of the season gave the Blue & Gray lead, 3-2.

Rice added another run in the seventh to extend the margin to 4-2. Tyler Henley singled into center with one away. He stole second to move into scoring position and came home on Buenger's base hit to right.

After allowing just four hits and a walk with three strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work, Tacker gave way to junior all-America Cole St.Clair in the top of the seventh. The left-hander fired three scoreless innings of one-hit relief to preserve Tacker's eighth win of the season and notch his second save in as many appearances. He retired eight Golden Knights in a row before a base hit in the ninth. St.Clair struck out three on the afternoon.

Rice won its fifth game in a row to improve to 32-11 on the season and 12-2 in conference. UCF is now 18-22 overall and 1-10 in C-USA.

With a 10-1 win over the Golden Knights on Friday night, the Owls clinched the weekend series. Rice has won 36-consecutive home series win at Reckling Park. The home streak, which includes both regular season and NCAA super regionals, dates back to April of 2001. Rice won its 27th-straight home conference series. The Blue & Gray have won a total of 22-consecutive conference series (home or away) dating back to March of 2005.

The series concludes at 1 pm (Central time) Sunday at Reckling Park.