Rice University
13-18-1, 2-9-1
Louisiana Tech
24-7, 10-2
LA Tech Tops Rice Sunday In Series Finale
4/11/2021 7:13:00 PM | Baseball
Owls Close Out Current Homestand Tuesday vs. UIW
LA Tech opened the scoring with a run in the top of the fourth but Rice was quick to respond. Cade Edwards lined a leadoff single and advanced to second on a ground out to the left side. Austin Bulman followed with a walk and the base runners executed a double-steal to put two in scoring position. Edwards trotted home easily on a sac fly to right. Bulman was able to score on a two-out RBI single by Bradley Gneiting for a 2-1 Rice lead.
The No. 16 ranked Bulldogs regained the lead with two runs in the fifth and stretched the margin to five, 7-2, with four more in the sixth. The Blue & Gray took advantage of a pair of some free passes for two runs in the seventh. Will Karp and Justin Long both drew walks to begin the frame. Sophomore Johnny Hoyle, making his first collegiate start, roped a pitch through the left side for his for his first Division I hit and RBI. Long scored from third base on a ground out and the Owls were back within three, 7-4.
The Bulldogs pushed across two unanswered runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth. The big blow was a three-run homer to make it 13-4.
Records
Rice is now 13-17-1 overall and 2-8-1 in conference. LA Tech moved to 23-7 overall and 9-2 in C-USA.
This & That
• Rice improvised a new-look left side of the infield just before the first pitch as Will Karp (SS) and Johnny Hoyle (3B) started in place of Hal Hughes and Braden Comeaux, respectively. Hughes was held out to rest a knee while Comeaux reported he felt ill at pregame infield practice. He was not on the hot corner for the first time in 35 games dating back to last season.
• The Owl trio of Karp, Justin Dunlap and Bradley Gneiting all collected two hits in the game.
• With his ninth multi-hit game of the season Gneiting now has 199 career hits for the Owls.
• Cade Edwards closed out a sensational series against the No. 16 ranked Bulldogs going 7-for-16 (.438) with two home runs, a double, four runs scored and a stolen base.
• Edwards has reached base in 11 straight games, the longest active mark on the squad.
• Redshirt freshman Connor Walsh it safely in all four games of the series to go 6-for-15 (.400) with a home run, triple and double for an .800 slugging percentage.
• The Owls used four pitchers who combined for 13 strikeouts. The Rice staff has recorded double-digit Ks 12 times, and it was the fourth time with at least 13 strikeouts.
On Deck
Rice closes out the current homestand on Tuesday (April 13) with a non-conference game vs. Incarnate Word. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm at Reckling Park.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jarret Whorff (6-1)
L: Deskins, Brandon (1-4)
S: Kyle Crigger (1)
Batting:
2B: Hunter Wells 1 ; Adarius Myers 1 ; Logan McLeod 1
HR: Parker Bates 1 ; Kyle Hasler 1
RBI: Taylor Young 1 ; Parker Bates 4 ; Manny Garcia 3 ; Jorge Corona 2 ; Adarius Myers 1 ; Philip Matulia 1 ; Kyle Hasler 1
SF: Jorge Corona 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Taylor Young 3 ; Hunter Wells 4 ; Parker Bates 3 ; Manny Garcia 1 ; Kyle Hasler 1 ; Logan McLeod 1
HBP: Parker Bates 1
Batting:
RBI: Walsh, Connor 1 ; Gneiting, Bradley 1 ; Hoyle, Johnny 1
SF: Walsh, Connor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Edwards, Cade 1 ; Bulman, Austin 1 ; Karp, Will 1 ; Long, Justin 1
SB: Edwards, Cade 1 ; Bulman, Austin 1 ; Gneiting, Bradley 1 ; Karp, Will 1
