Owls Fall To UCF Friday Night 5-0

Friday, May 8

Reckling Park

6:30 PM

Rice University

31-13, 13-6

UCF

19-30, 7-12

UCF

Rice

5/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 8, 2009

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HOUSTON -- Sophomore outfielder Chad Mozingo went 3-for-3 and reached base four times in a double-digit hit attack for the Rice baseball team, but the Owls could not convert the opportunities into runs and fell to visiting UCF 5-0 in the opening game of a three-game Conference USA weekend series Friday evening at Reckling Park.

UCF jumped on the scoreboard for a pair of runs in the top of the second inning. Beau Taylor led off with a single and Kiko Vazquez drew a walk to put runners on first and second. D.J. Hicks singled down the right field line that allowed Taylor to score and Vazquez to take third. Vazquez came home on Chris Duffy's sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead.

That would prove to be all the runs UCF pitchers Caleb Graham and Kyle Stewart would need on the night. The duo allowed a total of 10 hits on the night, but combined for a shutout effort with no walks while striking out three.

With the 2-0 lead the Knights added another run in the fourth on three hits. Taylor knocked a leadoff double and scored on Duffy's single up the middle. UCF made it 4-0 in the sixth with a one-out single by Jake Huxtable. The Knights stretched the margin to 5-0 in the eighth with an RBI double by Hicks after a one-out single by Vazquez. Each of the bottom five hitters in the UCF lineup all had two hits. Hicks and Duffy both had two RBI.

Rice's best opportunity for runs was the sixth. The Blue & Gray loaded the bases with one-away, but UCF snared a low line-drive by Rick Hague that could have put runs on the scoreboard. The Owls also had men on first and third in the seventh. Rice then had its leadoff men on base to start the eighth and ninth, but hit into double-plays that erased both threats.

Mozingo led Rice with three hits. Second baseman Brock Holt went 2-for-4 and had a hand in turning four double plays by the Blue & Gray on the defensive side. The Owls fell to 31-13 on the season and 13-6 in conference action. UCF improved to 19-30 overall 7-12 in league play.

The C-USA series continues through Sunday. Saturday's second game of the weekend set is slated for 2 pm. Sunday's first pitch is at 1 pm. The Rice seniors will be honored before the start of Sunday's game. The final Rice home game of the regular season is scheduled for May 12 against Louisiana-Lafayette.