Saturday, February 24
Lafayette, LA
2:00 p.m.
Rice University
3-3
6
at
1
Louisiana
3-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Rice
2
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
2
6
8
1
Louisiana
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
6
4
McCracken's Gem Clinches Series For Owls
2/24/2024 5:19:00 PM | Baseball
First complete game since 2019
Lafayette, LA: J.D. McCracken tossed the first complete game by a Rice Owl in nearly five years to lead Rice to a series-clinching 6-1 win over Louisiana at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field at Russo Park on Saturday afternoon.
The Details: McCracken scattered six hits and walked just one while striking out a career-high 11, including striking out the side in the seventh and ninth innings. The Owls continued their early season trend of striking early by presenting McCracken with a 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back RBI singles by Manny Garza and Jack Riedel and added a run in the third when Ben Royo scored on a wild pitch. Louisiana responded with its first offensive threat in the bottom of the fourth with consecutive singles to lead off the inning. McCracken followed with a double play but gave up his only run with a wild pitch top allow the runner to score from third. He worked around a leadoff double in the fifth and then a two-out double in the seventh. He earned his chance at finishing the game by needing only four pitches to get through the eighth and then struck out the side in the ninth. It marked his first career complete game as a collegian and the first time he has thrown nine innings at any level. Kyte McDonald blasted a home run off the scoreboard to push the margin to 4-1 and Nathan Becker's two-run double in the ninth added insurance.
Next Up: The series concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Sophomore Ryland Urbanczyk will start for Rice and face Louisiana righthander Carson Fluno.
Notes:
The Details: McCracken scattered six hits and walked just one while striking out a career-high 11, including striking out the side in the seventh and ninth innings. The Owls continued their early season trend of striking early by presenting McCracken with a 2-0 lead in the first on back-to-back RBI singles by Manny Garza and Jack Riedel and added a run in the third when Ben Royo scored on a wild pitch. Louisiana responded with its first offensive threat in the bottom of the fourth with consecutive singles to lead off the inning. McCracken followed with a double play but gave up his only run with a wild pitch top allow the runner to score from third. He worked around a leadoff double in the fifth and then a two-out double in the seventh. He earned his chance at finishing the game by needing only four pitches to get through the eighth and then struck out the side in the ninth. It marked his first career complete game as a collegian and the first time he has thrown nine innings at any level. Kyte McDonald blasted a home run off the scoreboard to push the margin to 4-1 and Nathan Becker's two-run double in the ninth added insurance.
Next Up: The series concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Sophomore Ryland Urbanczyk will start for Rice and face Louisiana righthander Carson Fluno.
Notes:
- The last Owl to throw a complete game was Matt Canterino, vs. FIU at Reckling Park on 4/5/19 (9,5,5,5,3,7).
- Rice improved to 3-3 on the season and 20-17 all-time vs. Louisiana
- The win gave the Owls their first series win in three tries in Lafayette.
- Rice has now outscored the opposition 8-1 in the first inning this year.
- Rice starting pitchers have posted a combined 1.20 ERA through the season's first six games (30, 17, 8, 4, 14, 34).
- Garza has driven in a run in five consecutive games.
- Becker has doubled in each of the last four games and has hit in five of six this year.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: McCracken, J.D. (1-0)
L: Chase Morgan (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Becker, Nathan 1
HR: McDonald, Kyte 1
RBI: McDonald, Kyte 1 ; Becker, Nathan 2 ; Garza, Manny 1 ; Riedel, Jack 1
Base Running:
RUNS: McDonald, Kyte 3 ; Gallo, Pierce 1 ; Royo, Ben 1 ; Johnson , Max 1
SB: McDonald, Kyte 1
HBP: Gallo, Pierce 1
Batting:
2B: Clay Wargo 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Duncan Pastore 1
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
3
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
Players Mentioned
Inf.
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LHP
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RHP
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