Rice University
UTSA
UTSA Takes Sunday Series Finale
5/6/2018 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Recap by: John Sullivan, Rice Athletics (jsully@rice.edu)
SAN ANTONIO -- A pair of UTSA pitchers combined to hold Rice to just four base hits and a pair of walks while striking out 15 as the Roadrunners claimed a 7-0 win over the visiting Rice baseball team in the final game of the C-USA weekend series in San Antonio.
Rice, 20-26-2 overall and 9-13-2 in Conference USA, already won the weekend road series sweeping both games of Saturday's double-header. UTSA improved to 26-20 on the season and 12-11 conference play. Both teams have just six C-USA league games remaining heading now into the final two weekends of the regular season.
UTSA was quick to jump on the scoreboard first for the first time in the series. The Roadrunners plated a pair of runs on four base hits in the top of the first and proceeded to add single runs in the second and third innings to stretch the margin to 4-0.
That was more than enough room for UTSA senior starter Chance Kirby, who scattered four singles and a walk while striking out 13 in 7.1 innings of work. He was relieved by Palner Wenzel, who kept the Blue & Gray off the scoreboard for the final 1.2 frames with two more strikeouts of his own.
A total of six Rice pitchers saw action on the day. Sophomore right-hander Roel Garcia had the besting showing for the Owls, working 2.2 scoreless frames where he did not allow any runs while striking out three.
The three-game C-USA weekend series has concluded but there is still one more game in the Owls' current road swing. Rice next plays at longtime foe Sam Houston State on Tuesday (May 8). First pitch at Don Sanders Stadium in Huntsville is set for 6:30 pm.
