Tuesday, March 15
Houston, Texas
6:30 PM
Rice University
4-13
19
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SFA
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9
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SFA
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Rice
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Photo by: Maria Lysaker | Rice Athletics
Owls Slam Their Way Past SFA
3/15/2022 11:06:00 PM | Baseball
Owls blast three homers, including a pair of grand slams.
In Brief: Rice exploded its highest run production in three years, amassing 19 runs on the strength of three home runs (including grand slams by Guy Garibay Jr. and Nathan Becker) to blast SFA 19-3 on Tuesday night at Reckling Park. The Owls offensive onslaught generated their most runs since they defeated Charlotte 19-4 on April 12, 2019.
The Details: The Owls went to work early working deep counts against SFA starter Brooks Caple. Jack Riedel drove home Garibay, but SFA touched Owls starter Brandon Deskins for a pair of runs in the second to take a lead that was short-lived, thanks to Garibay. Antonio Cruz and Justin Long reached on a pair of infield singles and Drew Woodcox followed with a walk. Garibay then drilled a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right for his first career grand slam to put Rice ahead to stay. Rice added four runs in the fourth highlighted by an RBI single by Garibay and a two-run homer by Aaron Smigelski and then doubled that output the following inning, plating eight runs to put the game out of reach. Pierce Gallo and Johnny Hoyle each drove in one run in the inning, Woodcox drove in a pair and Becker capped the inning by slamming his first homer of the season for his first career grand slam. Freshman Mark Perkins tossed three innings of two-hit relief to pick up his first career win.
Notable:
Up Next: The Owls will host Sam Houston (11-5) at 6:30 Wednesday night at Reckling Park. The Bearkats defeated Baylor at home on Tuesday night, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
The Details: The Owls went to work early working deep counts against SFA starter Brooks Caple. Jack Riedel drove home Garibay, but SFA touched Owls starter Brandon Deskins for a pair of runs in the second to take a lead that was short-lived, thanks to Garibay. Antonio Cruz and Justin Long reached on a pair of infield singles and Drew Woodcox followed with a walk. Garibay then drilled a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right for his first career grand slam to put Rice ahead to stay. Rice added four runs in the fourth highlighted by an RBI single by Garibay and a two-run homer by Aaron Smigelski and then doubled that output the following inning, plating eight runs to put the game out of reach. Pierce Gallo and Johnny Hoyle each drove in one run in the inning, Woodcox drove in a pair and Becker capped the inning by slamming his first homer of the season for his first career grand slam. Freshman Mark Perkins tossed three innings of two-hit relief to pick up his first career win.
Notable:
- The last time the Owls hit a pair of grand slams in a game was the last time the Owls scored 19 runs in a game (4/12/19 at Charlotte) as Justin Collins and Andrew Dunlap not only both cleared the bases with homes, but did it in the second inning.
- Rice's last four grand slams have come at Reckling Park (Austin Bulman, Garibay and Becker this year, Connor Walsh and Hal Hughes last year). The Owls' last slam on the road was Dunlap's at Charlotte in 29019.
- The three slams this season are the most for the Owls since they hit five in 2019.
- The Owls collected six extra-base hits (three doubles and three home runs) for the first time since they had six in the second game of a doubleheader at ODU last season (4/17/21).
- Every Rice starter collected at least one hit and scored at least one run in the game.
- Garibay's five RBI and four runs were career highs. The last Owl to drive in five in a game was Becker at ODU on 4/17/21.
- Becker extended his streak of reaching base to 12 games with a walk and his grand slam.
- Aaron Smigelski's homer in the fourth gave him a hit in 11 of his first 12 games this season.
- Woodcox collected a pair of doubles in five at bats and scored a career-high four runs.
- Johnny Hoyle came on as a pinch hitter in the fifth and delivered an RBI single. His pinch-hit was the eighth for the Owls this year in 20 at bats. They only had seven in all of last year.
- Four Rice pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts, the fourth time in the last five games Owls pitchers have reached double figures.
Up Next: The Owls will host Sam Houston (11-5) at 6:30 Wednesday night at Reckling Park. The Bearkats defeated Baylor at home on Tuesday night, scoring three runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Perkins, Mark (1-0)
L: Brooks Caple (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Jake Zarrello 1
3B: PJ Villareal 1
RBI: Gabe Irwin 1 ; PJ Villareal 1 ; Garrett Goetz 1
SH: Garrett Goetz 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Cully Mangus 1 ; Jake Zarrello 1 ; PJ Villareal 1
CS: Kanin Dodge 1
HBP: Kyle Cullen 1
Batting:
2B: Woodcox, Drew 2 ; Walsh, Connor 1
HR: Garibay Jr., Guy 1 ; Smigelski, Aaron 1 ; Becker, Nathan 1
RBI: Woodcox, Drew 2 ; Garibay Jr., Guy 5 ; Smigelski, Aaron 2 ; Hoyle, Johnny 1 ; Becker, Nathan 4 ; Riedel, Jack 1 ; Gallo, Pierce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodcox, Drew 4 ; Garibay Jr., Guy 4 ; Smigelski, Aaron 1 ; Hoyle, Johnny 1 ; Becker, Nathan 1 ; Riedel, Jack 1 ; Walsh, Connor 1 ; Cruz, Antonio 2 ; Gallo, Pierce 1 ; Long, Justin 3
CS: Walsh, Connor 1
HBP: Ben-Shoshan, Jack 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
4
H
4
RBI
5
AB
5
R
4
H
3
RBI
2
ph/3b
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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