riceowlsbaseball: May 2006

C-USA Championship Game Pics

This picture says it all.

Greg Buchanan and Isa Garcia get tangled up after
Garcia was tagged out.

Jordan Dodson expresses himself after scoring a run.

This swing was the game changing homer.

Danny Lehmann gets a pitch to drive.

Brian Friday makes it look routine.

Will McDaniel was determined not to let the
Cougs back in this game.
UH-Rice C-USA Championship Game Pictures

C-USA CHAMPS!

Rice Jumps Over UH in Final Game to Claim Crown
By Mark Anderson

The Rice Owls, trailing the Univerisity of Houston Cougars by a score of 5-1, played a game of leapfrog as the number one ranked Owls overcame and early deficit to win big, 11-5.

The game changing moment came when Joe Savery stepped to the plate with the score 5-4. Savery, who had his share of struggles on the hill today, got exactly what he was looking for--a changeup--and drilled it high and deep into a very stiff wind. As the ball left the bat, SAvery leaped with a finger in the air--he knew immediately, wind or no wind, that he had homered to put the Owls up by a score of 6-5.

Savery, normally a very reserved person, reacted as he had in no other at bat this entire year. I asked Joe afterwards if he had ever in any game hit a home run and jumped as he did today. "No, not ever," Joe said, "but I knew that was gone."

Savery's game changing moment was set up by a rally in the fourth inning. Rodriguez led off the inning with a booming double to right centerfield. Joe Savery followed with a walk, and Luna singled, loading the bases. That brought up Jordan Dodson, who admitted afterwards he had been struggling a bit. Not on this at bat though--he crushed it to roght for a double, scoring Rodriguez and Savery. That brought in Hancock to face Lehmann, who reached on a throwing error, scoring Luna. That rally brought the Owls back from a 5-1 deficit to within a run.

In the fifth, the game changed in the Owls facor when Buchanan reached with one out . That brought Savery to the plate. Savery who had a hand in all the runs scored to this point, changed the momentum with one swing of the bat.

That put the game in the hands of Will McDaniel, who had replaced Savery on the mound. McDaniel was nothing short of outstanding. McDaniel had come on in the fourth in relief of Savery, and his pitching (3 1/3, 1 hit, no runs) gave the Owls the chance they needed to climb back into it.

In the sixth, the Owls stretched their lead when Zornes opened witha single to right and moved to second on JOrdon Dodson's infield single. Lehmann walked to load the bsdrd and bring up Tyler Henley. Henley's sharp single scored Zornes and Dodson, and moved Lehmann to third. Friday's single added another run. After Buchanan struck out, J-Rod stepped up and lined a single to plate yet another run. Although Savery struck out and Luna flied out, the Owls had added four more runs and they would never look back on this day.

Cole St. Clair came in to pitch with two outs in the seventh, and he was also brilliant, giving up no hits and no runs to shut the door for the Owls. Rice will host a regional next weekend, beginning Friday.

UH-Rice to Square Off in Winner Take All Match

The two top seeds from the CUSA will meet Sunday to decide the chamionship. Joe Savery will start for the Owls, and Matt Farrington will be on the hill for the Cougars. Game time is 1:00pm.

I'll be posting more pics from Satuday as well as game stories in the not-to-distant future.

Pics From Win Over Memphis

Cole St. Clair delivers in the 9th.

Joe Davery singles on this pitch

Savery uot on force play at plate

Friday safe at first

Friday gets the relay to begin a DP

You can't stop before you get to hte plate!

Bryce Cox delivers

Pics From ECU-Tulane

C-USA Player of the Year Mark Hamilton

McFadden singles in the game winner on
this swing.

Riser scores winning run as Hamilton awaits

Mattox readies to drive the ball down the line

Green Wave Hoses ECU Out of C-USA Tourney

Tenth Inning Keeps Tulane Alive; ECU Goes Home

It was a hot, sultry afternoon in Houston—the kind where you sought refuge from as a kid under a garden hose. Unfortunately for ECU, the Green Wave got to T. J. Hose and stayed alive by winning a ten inning tight game by a score of 2-1.

Shane Matthews pitched a career best 8 1/3 innings for the Pirates, and kept the game tight. His counterpart, Billy Mohl, didn’t go as deep but was just as good, going six innings and giving up only a run on seven hits.

The game was decided in the tenth when Matt Riser singled up the middle to lead off the tenth. Everett sacrificed Riser to second. That brought Warren McFadden to the plate. Hose had no place to put McFadden with Mark Hamilton coming up next. Hose threw two sliders that McFadden couldn’t drive, and with the count 1-2, he came back with another slider—only a hanging one. “My eyes lit up,” McFadden said afterwards. McFadden stroked a single to right that scored Riser.

That put things in the hands of Daniel Latham, who on one pitch had gotten a double play to end the ninth. He got the first two hitters with relative ease, but Jake Smith singled. But on the very next pitch, Witter grounded out to end the game. Latham commented afterwards, “I knew that if I threw strikes, my defense would be there for me.”

Tulane moves on to face UH tomorrow morning at 9am in a win or go home game.

Pics from Southern Miss-Memphis Game

This play looked like "Who'sOn First?"

Amar misplays a grounder

Adam Amar hit a three run double
that keyed the Mephis rally in the fifth.

Memphis Rolls On; Southern Miss Out

Three Run Double by Amar Key Hit in 8-5 Win
By Mark Anderson

The Golden Eagles were eliminated from the C-USA Tournament Friday night when the Memphis Tigers won the Friday elimination game by a score of 8-5.

The key to the Tigers’ victory on Friday was the fifth inning. Trailing by a score of 4-2, Memphis came back in a big way,. With runners on second and third, and a3-1 count on Bill Moss (hitting 351), the Golden Eagles elected to load the bases and face Adam Amar (hitting .401). Amar got a pitch on the outer part of the plate and drove it deep to right center, clearing the bases for the Tigers and putting Amar on second. He wouldn’t stay there long, as Goss’ single would bring him hime. Those two hits gave the Tigers’ a 6-4 advantage and they never looked back.

Memphis goes on to face Rice tomorrow in the 12:30game.

Pics of Rice-Southern Miss

Cox was dominating

Southern Miss out on this very close play at
first

Zornes singles on this pitch

Bobby Bell--great outing and
showed real resiliance

Pics from UH-ECU

Licoln turned up the heat on ECU

Lincoln helped his own cause with a
single here

FROZEN. . . that's what Lincoln's
selection of pitches did to many ECU
hitters

Rice, UH Roll On

Marshall, UAB Eliminated in CUSA Tournament
By Mark Anderson

The top ranked Rice Owls and the Brad Lincoln led Houston Cougars advanced in the C-USA Tournament today. The Owls were paced by a 13 hit attack and 7 stromg innings from Bobby Bell tp defeat Southern Miss by a score of 5=1.

The Owls jumped on the board first as Luna hit a hard to play by the third baseman, who threw errantly to first after Luna had reached safely. After Zornes grounded out, Dodson hit a deep fly that moved Luna to third. Kenny Ford walked, and Henley followed with a double down the left field line, bringing home Luna. Buchanan followed with a two run single to put the Owls up 3-0.

The Eagles had a golden opportunity to answer the Owls in the bottom of the third, but missed a golden opportunity. With one out, Sutton singled to left, and Maddox followed with the same. After a strikeout, Ewing walked to load the bases. Coker followed with a walk that forced in the only run the Eagles would score for the night. At this point in the game, Bobby Bell wasa struggling with his breaking pitches, and things were a little adventurous for Adam Zornes behind the plate at this point. But Adkins struck out to end the inning—and the golden opportunity had passed by Southern Miss. By the fifth inning, Bell gained control of his breaking pitch, and was absolutely nasty from that point forward, keeping the Eagles off-balance with an assortment of pitches.

The Owls would have added more onto the run total, but Joe Savery missed the bag at third and was out on an appeal play.

Bryce Cox came on in the eighth inning and was absolutely dominating, not giving up any hots or walks while striking out three.

For the Cougars, this game can be summed up in two words: Brad Lincoln. While striking out only 6 in 8 innings of work, Lincoln put the ball right where he wanted it virtually the entire afternoon. Houston pounded the Pirates pitching for 14 hits and 4 walks, including Matt Weston’s 15th homerun of the year.

Both Rice and Houston have the day off tomorrow and will play in the winner’s bracket on Saturday.
For Marshall and UAB, their journey came to an end in C-USA play today, as Memphis defeated UAB, and Marshall was mercifully eliminated on the “mercy rule.”

UAB-Rice Pics

Sawyer and Savery go different directions
as this third strike gets away.

UAB scored on this wils pitch in spite of
a valiant effort by Danny Lehmann.

Sawyer arrrives at third

So the hustle! This UAB runner nearly
picked off ny Danny Lehmann

Friday hit this ball on the screws.

UH_Marshall Pics

Hargove pitched well

Marshall runner dives back in

Kingsbury nailed this pitch

CUSA Tournament Pics, ECU and Tulane

AGONY. . . Brody Taylor hurt his elbow in
the 8th inning. . . this picture tells a lot.

Ty Wallace dives in vain for a bunt.

Jakob Dean scores ahead of the tag.

Jake Smith struck the big blow on this
swing with a long homer.

A Little Unorthodox, But a Win

Owls Big Burst in Sixth Propels Owls to Victory
By Mark Anderson

The opening game for the Rice Owls in the C-USA tournament can best be described as ”unorthodox.” It’s not every afternoon that Eddie Degerman walks seven hitters (four in an inning), and throws three wild pitches to boot. It’s not every day that you see a three run homer turn into a two run single because a runner passes another, as Greg Buchanan did. But that’s just some of what took place at Reckling this afternoon.

The Owls started it off in rather ordinary fashion in the second inning when Savery walked with one out. Aaron Luna followed that with a single to left. Savery then scored from second on Zornes’ single to left. After Dodson struck out, Zornes stole second and Luna stole third. A wild pitch scored Luna to make it 2-0 in favor of the Owls.

In the fourth, consecutive singles by Savery, Luna, and Zornes scored the Owls’ third run. Sounds pretty ordinary, right?

In the UAB sixth, Gutierrez walked to open the inning, After a strikeout, Gutierrez advanced to second on a wild pitch. Sawyer homered on a 2-2 count to make the score 3-2.

But Rice answered back in the bottom of the frame, and in a big way. Rodriguez opened the inning with a walk, and stole second. Savery then walked on a 3-2 pitch. But things got a little wacky at this point, because Jacob Legg began paying particular attention to Rodriguez at second. A pickoff attempt hit Rodriguez in the hip, and both runners moved up a base. Zornes’ single plated both runners. Dodson and Lehmann were walked, and Henley’s single scored two more. This is where it got truly unorthodox, as Buchanan stepped up and hit what might have been a three run homer—but passed the runner in front of him. Instead, it turned into a two run single. The Owls now had a 9-2 advantage.

But this is where it got really unorthodox for the Owls. With one out, Metcalf walked on a 3-1 pitch. After a wild pitch sent him to second, Turner walked. . . and Gutierrez walked. Metcalf then scored on a wild pitch. After Patmon struck out, Sawyer walked. At this point, Degerman was replaced by Bobby Bramhall on the mound. Bramhall got two quick grounders to end the threat—and close out the scoring for UAB.

Rice will play at 7:30 tomorrow evening, playing the winner of Southern Mississippi and Memphis (game underway at this writing).

No Surprise in Game 2—UH Dominates

UH Pours It On To Vanquish the Herd
By Mark Anderson

Marshall came to Recking Field hoping to put the recent past behind them. Unfortunately for the Herd, the past became a present reality as the Cougs defeated Marshall by a score of 9-1.

Houston had 13 hits—including six extra base hits—to pace the Cougars this afternoon. But not to be left out was Ricky Hargrove’s pitching performance. Hargrove allowed only one run in seven innings. The game was close early, but one turning point may have been a pickoff by Hargrove of Brit Vincent at first. That seemed to take the wind out of the sails of the Thundering Herd. They never seemed to recover, and things only snowballed as the game went on.

SURPRISE!!!!

East Carolina Upsets Tulane, 4-2
By Mark Anderson

The East Carolina Pirates came to Reckling this morning and stole the forst game from the Tulane Green Wave by a score of 4-2.

Brody Taylor outdueled Sean Morgan to give the Pirates the pitching they needed to surprise the Green Wave. Through 7 1/3 innings, Brody kept the Wave off-balance, hitting his spots, used his fielders to make the plays. Unfortunately for Taylor, he appeared to hurt his elbow in the eighth and was immediately removed. Taylor’s condition is unknown at this writing.

Te key to the Pirates win was the fifth inning. With the game tied at 1-1, Jakob Dean stepped top the plate and singled t oventer. A sacrifice bunt moved Dean to second, and Eldridge singled through the right side to scored Dean. After Eldridge stole second, aand after a strikeout, Jake Smith, the C-USA first team catcher, stepped up and hit a booming home run to left center field to plate both runs.

Athough Tulane added a run in the fifth to answer, they could never mount anything past that. After Taylor went down, Shane Matthews came in and shut the door on the Green Wave. East Carolina moves into the winner’s bracket, while Tulane faces elimination tomorrow.

OPENING ROUND OF C-USA TOURNEY SET

By Mark Anderson
The opening round of the conference tournament has been set for Wednesday beginning at 9 am at Reckling Park.

Here are the games scheduled for Wednesday:

9:00 am #6 East Carolina vs. #3 Tulane
12:30 pm (approx.) #7 Marshall vs. #2 Houston
4:00 pm (approx.) #8 UAB vs. #1 Rice
7:30 pm (approx.) #5 Southern Mississippi vs. #4 Memphis

No starting pitchers, as of this writing, have been announced. Lots of speculation, but we’re not going there. We’ll wait for official announcements by each team.

Here at the blog, I will attempt to keep you up to date with pics and stories as they unfold. Thursday’s games will be announced as soon as humanly possible here. I’m going to try my best to avoid jumping the gun with speculation because it simply isn’t fair to any of the teams involved. Hopefully, this can be a great source of news and pictures for you.

LINKS

Apparently, the links section in this blog has not been working. I would liike to diurect you to some links that you may find of interest:

www.CUSA-fans.com

www.ricefootball.net

I'll be adding more links as we go. . . and hopefully will figure out how the links section works on this thing in the meantime.