Rice Rolls Past UAB 9-2

Thursday, May 20

Reckling Park

6:30 PM

Rice University

34-19, 16-6

UAB

27-24, 10-12

UAB

Rice

5/21/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

May 21, 2010

Box Score

By MOISEKAPENDA BOWER

Rice senior righthander Mike Ojala hadn't considered the gravity of the moment until director of baseball operations Lee Ann Lassiter informed him that, barring unforeseen circumstances leading to an NCAA home regional, Friday night would represent his final start at Reckling Park.

When Ojala relayed that information to Rice pitching coach David Pierce, he got a response that provided more than a modicum of humor.

"Lee Ann said something to me before (the game) and I wasn't even thinking about it," Ojala said. "I was like, `Oh great, thanks Lee Ann.' And I go down there (the bullpen) and tell Pierce about it before the game and he's like, `Don't get all sentimental! You can wait until you're done.'"

If Ojala was at all misty-eyed he didn't reveal it, shaking off an early mistake against UAB slugger Luke Stewart to rack up a career-high 12 strikeouts in the Owls' 9-2 Conference USA victory over the Blazers.

Ojala (4-2) grooved a two-out, two-strike pitch to Stewart in the first inning, and Stewart promptly lined the ball over the right-field wall to supply the Blazers (27-25, 10-13 C-USA) a 2-0 lead. That was the lone blemish of the contest for Ojala, who set UAB down in order four times and recorded two strikeouts in the first, second, third, fourth and seventh innings. When Rice coach Wayne Graham strolled to the mound to remove Ojala with two outs in the eighth, the partisan crowd of 4,017 bathed Ojala in a warm ovation as he made his way to the home dugout.

"Everybody appreciates those, and it feels great," Ojala said. "You get those tinglies down the back of your neck. But to tell you the truth I wanted to go the complete game and Graham didn't want me to.

"Him taking me out at that moment was picture-perfect. If my career at Rice had to end right now, that was pretty awesome."

That touching moment was not orchestrated on the part of Graham, who was focused more on Ojala retiring UAB second baseman Nick Crawford than providing Ojala an opportunity to garner some appreciation from the crowd. Crawford had reached base in his three previous plate appearances before Ojala struck him out to set a new single-game mark.

"I wanted him to have a chance to get that little guy (the 5-9 Crawford) out one time before I pulled him out," Graham said. "It just happened to fall that way, and I think that was a good thing to give the fans a chance to show their appreciation. I think it worked out really well."

Ojala certainly delivered a performance worthy of accolades. He pitched a season-high 7 2/3 innings while allowing a season low two hits, both in the first. Ojala retired 21 of the final 23 batters he faced, with Crawford netting walks in the third and fifth to interrupt the dominance.

As usual, Ojala flashed a devastating curveball. However, he mixed in an effective changeup and spotted his fastball exquisitely. With each start Ojala moves closer to developing into the pitcher Graham hoped he would become when Ojala returned from elbow surgery on March 19.

"It feels great. I feel like I'm better than I was last year," Ojala said. "And we're playing better than we did last year, and we're catching better than we did last year. It's nothing but smiles for me. I'm excited and I can't wait for the postseason. I think we're going to do great."

Said Graham: "He threw some curveballs that just weren't hittable. They were 80 miles an hour and really sharp. That's the old roll-off-the-table."

No. 22 Rice (35-19, 17-6) erased the early deficit with haste, with senior designated hitter Diego Seastrunk bashing an opposite-field, three-run homer off UAB righthander Beau Pender (6-5) for a 4-2 lead. Seastrunk finished 2-for-4 and recorded his fourth consecutive multi-hit game.

"I got that curveball, it was about outer-half, and I felt like I put a pretty good swing on it," Seastrunk said. "And that's just because I've been getting long looks at the ball. I've been patient and kind of letting it come back to me instead of jumping out and going to get it like I usually do and getting myself out. I'm letting the ball get a little bit deeper, and then I'm able to produce opposite-field home runs like that."

Senior first baseman Jimmy Comerota and sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon sandwiched RBI singles around another three-run shot, this one from sophomore center fielder Jeremy Rathjen in the fourth inning. Rathjen is second to Rendon with a dozen home runs.