Rice University
11-9
Texas A&M
15-8
Rice Defeats Texas A&M Tuesday 2-1
3/23/2021 10:29:00 PM | Baseball
Owls Next Open C-USA Action Friday
COLLEGE STATION — The Rice Baseball team pushed across two runs on eight hits, but it was enough room for a trio of Owl pitchers who were able to hold Texas A&M to one run on two hits in a 2-1 road victory over the Aggies Tuesday evening at Blue Bell Park in College Station.
The Story
Rice jumped on the scoreboard for the first run of the game in the top of the fourth. Guy Garibay singled, stole second and gained an extra station to third on an A&M error on the play. He scored on Cade Edwards' sac fly for a 1-0 lead.
It wasn't much of a lead to work with, but the Rice pitching duo of starter Garret Zaskoda and Drake Greenwood came up big to make the margin stand up for eight scoreless innings. Zaskoda delivered his best collegiate outing with a career-long 5.1 innings and matching his career-high with four strikeouts. Greenwood followed with his best outing of the year, a season-long 2.2 innings and a season-best five strikeouts.
Greenwood had previously pitched at and SEC school (Missouri), and two more former SEC players on the Rice roster were the catalyst behind a welcome insurance run in the top of the ninth. Hal Hughes (a transfer from LSU) drove home Connor Walsh (a transfer from Mississippi) from second base with a RBI single to center.
Rice now led 2-0, but the Aggies did not go away so easily at home. Pinch hitter Hunter Coleman blasted a one-out solo homer to centerfield in the bottom of the ninth to make it 2-1. Owl freshman reliever Guy Garibay was able to close out the inning without further damage. The highlight was shortstop Hal Hughes fielding a grounder behind the mound and making the throw from his knees to get the final out.
For The Record
Rice improved to 11-9 on the season. Texas A&M moved to 15-8 overall.
• True freshman Guy Garibay paced the Owls with a career-high three base hits. It was his fifth multi-hit game. He moved to the mound and earned his third save.
• In the top of the first inning Braden Comeaux urged Head Coach Matt Bragga to challenge a play where Comeaux was originally called out. The replay indeed overturned the out call to a base hit. In the ninth Rice's run was challenged by Texas A&M, the safe run call held up.
• Freshman Justin Long threw out two different runners attempting to steal a base, as well as throw-out another who attempted to advance after the ball bounced away from home plate.
• Rice used its eighth uniform combination of the season: blue jersey with 'Rice' in Old English, and gray pants.
• Justin Dunlap batted leadoff, and Braden Comeaux batted third in the order, for the 14th time this season.
• A year ago the Owls used eighth pitchers against A&M at Reckling Park. That contest turned out to be the final game of the 2020 season.
• Due to the unique scheduling challenges of 2021 the Owls have only two more midweek games for the remainder of the regular season.
Next Up
Rice returns home to Reckling Park on Friday (March 26) for the start of Conference USA league play, the Owls' first time to face a C-USA foe in two years. The Blue & Gray host state foe UTSA in the league's new four-game series format. Friday's 6 pm game vs. the Roadrunners will be followed by a double-header of two 7-inning games on Saturday. The teams close out the series with a nine inning game on Sunday (Mar. 28).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Zaskoda, Garret (2-1)
L: DETTMER, Nathan (2-1)
S: Garibay Jr., Guy (3)
Batting:
2B: Dunlap, Justin 1
RBI: Edwards, Cade 1 ; Hughes, Hal 1
SF: Edwards, Cade 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Garibay Jr., Guy 1 ; Walsh, Connor 1
SB: Garibay Jr., Guy 1
HBP: Comeaux, Braden 1
Batting:
HR: COLEMAN, Hunter 1
RBI: COLEMAN, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: COLEMAN, Hunter 1
CS: BOST, Austin 1 ; THOMPSON, Jordan 1
HBP: HOEHNER, Mikey 1
