Rice University Athletics
Rice University
6-4
Arizona
6-2
Rice Baseball Team Defeats Arizona 11-7 Wednesday Night
3/2/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 2, 2011
TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Rice baseball team used a big eight-run inning in the fifth and sophomore right-hander Chase McDowell worked a career-long 5.2 innings to help lead the Owls to an 11-7 road victory over nationally-ranked Arizona Wednesday evening in Tucson, Ariz.
Rice quickly struck for a run in the top of the first inning. J.T. Chargois punched a one-out base-hit up the middle and scored on a long double to center field by Anthony Rendon.
Arizona answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. Cole Frenzel drew a one-out walk and moved to second on a single by Jett Bandy. Frenzel scored on a single by Josh Garcia and the game was knotted-up 1-1.
The Wildcats made the most some small-ball for a pair of runs in the second. After a leadoff single, three-straight infield hits led to a run with the bases still loaded. The Owls were able to turn a double-play, but another run came home to stretch the margin to 3-1 with only one ball leaving the infield.
Just when it appeared both teams were settling-in with some scoreless frames, Rice exploded for eight big runs in the top of the fifth inning. Geoff Perrott led it with a solo home run to left field for his first career round-tripper. Pinch-hitter Daniel Gonzales-Luna walked and Chargois singled to put two men on for Rendon. The junior slugger hit a pitch into the right field corner for a stand-up triple and a pair of RBI. Rendon then scored on a Jeremy Rathjen sacrifice fly to tie the game, 4-4, but Blue & Gray wasn't finished at the plate.
The Owls drew three-straight walks to load the bases and an infield single by Perrott scored one. Gonzales-Luna walked-in a run and Michael Ratterree followed with the first of his three hits to score two more to give Rice a 9-3 lead.
Both teams tacked-on two runs in the seventh to make the score 11-6. The Wildcats added a final run in the bottom of the ninth for an 11-7 final. Ratterree, Rendon and Craig Manuel all had three hits on the night for the Owls.
Almost lost in the offensive fireworks was a career-long 5.2 innings by McDowell. The College Station, Tex., native allowed just three earned runs while striking out three for his first collegiate victory..
Rice improved to 11-7 on the season. Arizona suffered only its second loss of the year to fall to 6-2.
Eight of the Owls' first 10 games have been against teams from the Pac-10 Conference. Rice plays another Pac-10 foe, the Cal Golden Bears, in mid-March.
The Owls next return home to play in the annual Houston College Classic Tournament held this Friday through Sunday (Mar. 4-6) downtown at Minute Maid Park, major league home of the Houston Astros.
Rice's first game in the College Classic is Friday against Kentucky at 7 pm. The Owls then meet longtime rival Texas A&M at 7 pm on Saturday. Rice's final game in the tournament is against Baylor at 2:30 pm Sunday.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McDowell, Chase (1-1)
L: Littleman, Vincent (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Rendon, Anthony 1 ; Rathjen, Jeremy 1
3B: Rendon, Anthony 1
HR: Perrott, Geoff 1
RBI: Ratterree, Michael 2 ; Rendon, Anthony 3 ; Rathjen, Jeremy 3 ; Perrott, Geoff 2 ; GonzalesLuna, Daniel 1
SH: Hamilton, Derek 1
SF: Rathjen, Jeremy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ratterree, Michael 1 ; Chargois, J.T. 2 ; Rendon, Anthony 2 ; Manuel, Craig 1 ; Hamilton, Derek 1 ; Lewis, Ryan 1 ; Perrott, Geoff 2 ; GonzalesLuna, Daniel 1
HBP: Manuel, Craig 1
Batting:
2B: Bandy, Jett 1
RBI: Rickard, Joey 1 ; Garcia, Josh 2 ; Field, Johnny 1 ; Mejia, Alex 1
SF: Field, Johnny 1 ; Mejia, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Frenzel, Cole 1 ; Bandy, Jett 1 ; Refsnyder, Robert 2 ; Field, Johnny 1 ; Mejias-Brean, Seth 1 ; Mejia, Alex 1
CS: Mejia, Alex 1
HBP: Mejia, Alex 1
