Owls Close Out Non-conference Slate by Blasting Panthers

Tuesday, May 16

Houston, Texas

7:00 PM

Rice University

Prairie View A&M

Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics

Owls Close Out Non-conference Slate by Blasting Panthers

5/16/2023 11:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Down Prairie View 18-5

By: by Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)

Reckling Park: Every Rice starter collected at least two hits and scored at least one run as the Owls closed out their 2023 non-conference schedule with an 18-5 win in eight innings over Prairie View on Wednesday night.

The Details: Rice opened with four runs in the top of the first, matching the Owls' top opening inning of the year, thanks to RBI singles by Manny Garza and Guy Garibay Jr., a sacrifice fly by Ben Royo, and an RBI ground-rule double by Drew Holderbach. Jack Riedel doubled with one out in the bottom of the first They added three in the second thanks to a solo homer by Jack Riedel and another RBI single by Garibay. Garza smacked a two-run double in the third to respond to a pair of runs by the Panthers in the top of the third. Holderbach's solo homer in the fourth gave the Owls 10 runs in the first four innings. Prairie View edged to within five at 10-5 with three runs in the sixth. Rice responded with one run in the bottom of the sixth on a bases-loaded walk to Max Johnson and then closed out the game with seven runs in the eighth, thanks to a second RBI double by Holderbach, a two-run single by Johnson and a grand slam home run by Connor Walsh. Krishna Raj (3-2) picked up the win with three hitless innings of relief, matching his season high with five strikeouts.

Notes

Rice closed the regular season 7-8 in midweek games and 12-14 in non-conference games (9-5 at home).
The Owls' 23 hits were their most since they had 25 against Prairie View in 2019 and the 18 runs were their most since they scored 19 vs. SFA last season.
Rice has now hit 55 homers this season, matching their 2017 total as the most since the NCAA revised the bat standards for the 2011 season.
Walsh's grand slam was the second of the season for the Owls, the second of his career, and the first at home for the Owls since Garibay and Nathan Becker each hit one vs. SFA in 2022.
Walsh's walk-off homer was the first for the Owls since Cade Edwards capped a comeback vs. UTSA with the Owls' second homer of the inning in the first game of a doubleheader on 3/27/21.
Ben Dukes recorded the multi-hit game of his career and he reached base three times for the second consecutive game.
Riedel and Walsh each scored a career-high four runs.
Holderbach tied his career high with four hits and his nine total bases were a season-high.
Walsh's four RBI gave him nine in his last five games.
Max Johnson had a career-high three hits (3x5) and has hit in five of seven starts since returning from an injury and has scored nine runs in his seven starts.

Up Next: Rice opens its final homestand as a member of Conference USA by hosting FIU Thursday-Saturday. The Owls and Panthers, along with UAB, are each 7-20 and tied for 8^th in the conference heading into the final three games of the year, looking to secure the final berth in the C-USA Championship which will be hosted by Rice on May 24-28. While Rice and FIU meet head-to-head, UAB will host Louisiana Tech beginning on Thursday.