Rice University
16-7, 3-2
Memphis
10-14, 2-3
Owls Thump Memphis Saturday At Reckling Park, 12-4
3/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 28, 2009
HOUSTON -- Freshman Anthony Rendon went 3-for-5 with three RBI to lead a 14-hit attack as the Rice baseball team defeated Conference USA rival Memphis 12-4 in the second game of a three-game league series Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park in Houston.
The Owls' offense continued its recent surge, collecting at least 13 hits in six of the last eight games. Rice jumped on the scoreboard for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Diego Seastrunk laced a two-out double to the wall in left field and Rendon singled to drive him home. Rick Hague doubled to the gap in left-center to score Rendon to go ahead 2-0.
Memphis struck for a run in its at bat in the top of the second. First baseman Heith Hatfield hit a solo home run to left field to make it 2-1.
The Owls batted around four runs in the second on three hits, a walk, hit batsman and Tiger fielding error. The big blows were a bases-loaded double to left field by Chad Mozingo that scored two and a second-consecutive RBI single by Rendon that stretched the margin to 6-1.
The Tigers would not go away so easy and clawed back for a pair of runs in the fourth. Shawn Ablett and Cole Shelton both singled and advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt by Heith Huelsing. Ablett scored on a ground out and Wilson came home on a baase hit by Jacob Wilson that the score 6-3.
Rice came right back and rallied for three runs with two outs already recorded in the bottom of the fourth. Hague, Craig Manuel and Jimmy Comerota strung together consecutive base hits after a pair of Memphis fielding errors for a 9-3 advantage.
Memphis scored what would be its last run in the fifth on an RBI single by Trey Wiedman, but Rice continued to apply the offensive pressure. In the seventh, junior Steven Sultzbaugh belted a two-run home run to left field to make the score 11-4. Mozingo led off the eighth with a double to the left field corner and he scored on an RBI single by Rendon.
Rendon is only a freshman but Saturday was already the fourth time in his young collegiate career to get at least three hits in a game. He also leads the Owls in multiple-RBI games with 10. Six Owls had two-or-more hits in the victory.
Rice freshman Taylor Wall started on the mound worked a career-long 7.0 innings. The left-hander from Houston Westside scattered nine hits and a walk while striking out six to earn his third win of the season. Abe Gonzales pitched the final two frames and was sound and solid keeping the Tigers off the scoreboard on just one hit.
Rice improved to 16-7 overall and 3-2 in conference. The Tigers are now 10-14 on the season and 2-3 against the league. The C-USA weekend series concludes at Reckling Park on Sunday (Mar. 29). First pitch Sunday is set for noon. (Note that the Sunday start time is a change from some earlier listings.)
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wall, Taylor (3-2)
L: Fraser, Ryan (2-3)
Batting:
HR: Hatfield, Heith 1
RBI: Wiedman, Trey 1 ; Hatfield, Heith 2 ; Wilson, Jacob 1
SH: Huelsing, Tyler 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bowen, Brett 1 ; Ablett, Shawn 1 ; Shelton, Cole 1 ; Hatfield, Heith 1
Batting:
2B: Mozingo, Chad 2 ; Seastrunk, Diego 1 ; Hague, Rick 1
HR: Sultzbaugh, Steven 1
RBI: Mozingo, Chad 2 ; Seastrunk, Diego 1 ; Rendon, Anthony 3 ; Hague, Rick 2 ; Manuel, Craig 1 ; Comerota, Jimmy 1 ; Sultzbaugh, Steven 2
SF: Seastrunk, Diego 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Holt, Brock 1 ; Mozingo, Chad 2 ; Seastrunk, Diego 2 ; Rendon, Anthony 2 ; Hague, Rick 1 ; Comerota, Jimmy 1 ; Sultzbaugh, Steven 2 ; Fuda, Michael 1
HBP: Fuda, Michael 1
PO: Seastrunk, Diego 1
