Rice University
6-15, 0
UAB
13-5, 0
Owls Rally Falls Short on Sunday
3/20/2022 6:10:00 PM | Baseball
Texas A&M closes out homestand on Tuesday
The Details: UAB appeared to break open a tight game with a five-run fifth to take a 7-1 lead, but Smigelski sparked a Rice comeback with a long two-run homer to open the bottom of the sixth. Johnny Hoyle added an RBI single as a pinch hitter and then stole second and third before coming home to score when Pierce Gallo drove in a run for the sixth consecutive game. UAB extended the lead to 8-5 in the top of the seventh, but Smigelski cut the deficit to one with his second homer of the game. UAB pushed across a run in the eighth and headed to the ninth with a two-run lead. Guy Garibay Jr. opened the ninth with a walk, Smigelski was hit by a pitch and Nathan Becker battled back from a 1-2 count to walk and load the bases. Austin Bulman drilled a ground ball to third to score Antonio Cruz-who was running for Garibay-and retire Smigelski at third. The throw to first was wild to put runners in the corners, but Rice's hopes ended with a foul out to the catcher and a strikeout.
Notable:
- Drew Woodcox hit his first home run to lead off the bottom of the first for Rice and combined with Smigelski to give the Owls their third game with three home runs in the last five contests (vs. SFA and vs. UAB on Friday). Rice only had three games with at least three home runs in all of 2021.
- The Owls collected 10 hits on Sunday and have reached double figures in four of their last five games (.326; 58x178)
- The Owls' four-run sixth inning was their 10th inning in which they have scored three or more runs over the last five games after having only six such innings in the first 16 games.
- Rice pitchers struck out 11 Blazers on Sunday the seventh time they have top double figures in the last nine games after not reaching that figure in the first 12 this year.
- Smigelski has hit in 14 of his first 15 games as a collegian. He has two, two-homer games in his last three games, homering in consecutive at-bats each time.
- Nathan Becker singles and walked to extend his streak of reaching base to 16 consecutive games, the longest by an Owl since Braden Comeaux reached in 20 straight games in 2019.
- Johnny Hoyle collected the Owls' ninth pinch hit of the season (9x21), the most for the Owls since they had nine in 2019. The last season Rice reached double figures in pinch hits was when the Owls were 10x45 in 2015.
- Pierce Gallo extended his RBI streak to six with his single in the sixth. He has driven in 12 over that stretch after having one RBI in his first 13 games.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Brooks Walton (2-1)
L: Smith, Parker (1-2)
S: Collin Taylor (2)
Batting:
2B: John Marc Mullins 1 ; Brandon Willoughby 1 ; Darryl Buggs 1
3B: Darryl Buggs 1
HR: Josh Sears 1
RBI: John Marc Mullins 2 ; Matthew Golda 1 ; Josh Sears 1 ; Brandon Willoughby 2 ; Andrew Roberts 1 ; Darryl Buggs 1
Base Running:
RUNS: John Marc Mullins 1 ; Josh Sears 1 ; Christian Hall 1 ; Caleb Floyd 2 ; Brandon Willoughby 1 ; Darryl Buggs 3
SB: Caleb Floyd 1 ; Darryl Buggs 1
Batting:
2B: Gallo, Pierce 1
HR: Woodcox, Drew 1 ; Smigelski, Aaron 2
RBI: Woodcox, Drew 1 ; Smigelski, Aaron 4 ; Bulman, Austin 1 ; Hoyle, Johnny 1 ; Gallo, Pierce 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Woodcox, Drew 1 ; Garibay Jr., Guy 2 ; Cruz, Antonio 1 ; Smigelski, Aaron 2 ; Becker, Nathan 1 ; Hoyle, Johnny 1
SB: Hoyle, Johnny 2
HBP: Garibay Jr., Guy 1 ; Smigelski, Aaron 1
