Rice University
10-14, 1-3
Western Kentucky
10-12, 1-3
Canterino Gem Halts WKU, 4-0
3/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Recap by: John Sullivan, Rice Athletics (jsully@rice.edu)
HOUSTON – Sophomore pitcher Matt Canterino posted 11 strikeouts as he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning to help pace the Rice baseball team to a 4-0 Conference USA victory over visiting WKU in the opening game of a C-USA series Friday evening in Houston.
Canterino battled his way through some early adversity and ended up looking stronger as the near-historic night progressed. A WKU batter reached first base in the top of the first inning on a Rice fielding error, but Canterino quickly ended the threat with a strikeout of the next batter.
With a 1-0 lead on a Trei Cruz sacrifice fly that scored Ryan Chandler in the bottom of the third, Canterino retired ten in a row before another Hilltopper reached first base in the fifth on a wild pitch after a strikeout. The right-hander from Southlake, Texas, also hit a batter with one out to put two WKU runners on base. Owl third baseman Braden Comeaux, however, fielded a hot grounder, alertly stepped on the base and fired across the diamond to end the frame with a double play.
The Blue & Gray held the narrow 1-0 margin before a three-run sixth. Chandler singled-home Justin Collins with two away to make it a 2-0 game. With two runners still on base, Cruz knocked a big triple to center to stretch the margin to 4-0.
Canterino issued his only walk of the night with two outs in the seventh, but shortstop Ford Proctor ended that inning by snaring a line drive and stranding the runner. With two away in the eighth, WKU's Kevin Lambert hit safely into centerfield for the Hilltoppers' first hit of the night. Canterino got the next batter and finished the night working a career-long 8.0 innings. He allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out 11 (one away from equaling his career high).
Rice reliever Jackson Parthasarathy struck out three more in the top of the ninth for 4-0 final score. On the offensive side the Owl trio of Chandler, Cruz and Comeaux combined for seven of the team's nine hits.
Rice improved to 10-14 on the season while WKU moved to 10-12 overall. Both teams are an identical 1-3 in C-USA league play.
The three-game C-USA weekend series continues at Reckling Park through Sunday (March 25). Saturday's first pitch is set for 2 pm. Sunday's start time is slated for 1 pm.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Canterino, Matt (2-3)
L: Ryan Thurston (2-3)
Base Running:
HBP: Jake Ryan 1
Batting:
2B: Chandler, Ryan 1
3B: Cruz, Trei 1
RBI: Chandler, Ryan 1 ; Cruz, Trei 3
SH: Sarchet, Chase 1
SF: Cruz, Trei 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Chandler, Ryan 2 ; Collins, Justin 1 ; Gneiting, Bradley 1
SB: Chandler, Ryan 1 ; Comeaux, Braden 1
HBP: Gneiting, Bradley 1
