Rice University
6-3
Dallas Baptist
5-3
Owls Power Past Patriots 13-6
3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2009
FRISCO, Tex. -- Four home runs in the late innings, including back-to-back-to-back shots by Chad Mozingo, Diego Seastrunk and Rick Hague powered the No. 5-ranked Rice baseball team to a 13-6 victory over Dallas Baptist Wednesday night at the Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Tex.
Playing in the minor league home of the Texas Rangers' AA affiliate didn't take anything out of the Owls' offensive attack. Rice scored a season-high 13 runs on a season-best 16 hits. For good measure the Blue & Gray also posted new season highs in home runs (4) and total bases (30).
It was an Anthony Rendon home run that initially gave Rice the lead for good in the top of the seventh. The three more home runs in the eighth, all in consecutive trips to the plate, helped insure that a talented Dallas Baptist team that had beaten Rice twice last year and advanced to an NCAA Regional, would not be able to make a late comeback.
Dallas Baptist took opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the third, but the Owls moved in front in the fifth with three runs on three hits, a walk and a DBU fielding error, all with two outs already recorded in the inning. The Patriots answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame behind a two-run homer by Ryan Enos that made the score 4-3.
In the Rice seventh, Hague stroked a two-out single to right-center and Rendon followed with a home run to left field and a new 5-4 lead. The Owls, however, weren't finished in the inning. After a walk and DBU error, freshman Jeremy Rathjen doubled to left to add two more runs that made it 7-4.
In the eighth Rice's No. 2, 3 and 4 hitters all dialed long distance. With one away and a man on base, Mozingo hit the pole in left field for his first round-tripper of the season. Seastrunk drove the ball out of the park to right-center for his third homer. Hague completed the power surge with a solo shot to left and suddenly the Owls were in cruise control at 11-4.
Dallas Baptist battled back for single runs in its final two innings, but a Mozingo single plated two more in the ninth for a 13-6 final. Mozingo, Hague and Rendon all collected three hits on the night. Mozingo also tied a career-high with four RBI as the Owls improved to 6-3. Dallas Baptist dropped to 5-3 on the season.
Sophomore left-hander Matt Evers started on the mound for the first time and worked a career-long 4.1 innings. He scattered just three hits and struck out five. Evers was relieved by freshman Andrew Benak, who worked 1.2 innings to earn his first career win.
The Owls return home to host the 2009 Rice Invitational presented by Academy Sports + Outdoors this Friday through Sunday (Mar. 6-8) at Reckling Park. Joining the Owls in the four-team, round-robin tournament are Oral Robers, Notre Dame and Washington State.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Benak, Andrew (1-0)
L: Ben Palmer (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Seastrunk, Diego 1 ; Rathjen, Jeremy 1
HR: Mozingo, Chad 1 ; Seastrunk, Diego 1 ; Hague, Rick 1 ; Rendon, Anthony 1
RBI: Mozingo, Chad 4 ; Seastrunk, Diego 2 ; Hague, Rick 2 ; Rendon, Anthony 2 ; Rathjen, Jeremy 2
SH: Comerota, Jimmy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Comerota, Jimmy 2 ; Mozingo, Chad 1 ; Seastrunk, Diego 2 ; Hague, Rick 3 ; Rendon, Anthony 1 ; Sultzbaugh, Steven 1 ; Buenger, Jess 1 ; Rathjen, Jeremy 1 ; Peterson, Dave 1
SB: Hague, Rick 1 ; Rendon, Anthony 1
HBP: Buenger, Jess 1 ; DeBiasse, Nick 1
Batting:
2B: Clay Kelly 1
HR: Ryan Enos 1 ; Trevor Head 1
RBI: Ryan Enos 2 ; Austin Knight 3 ; Trevor Head 1
SH: Ryan Enos 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ryan Enos 1 ; Trevor Head 1 ; Ryan Behmanesh 1 ; Clay Kelly 3
CS: Ryan Goins 1
