Owls Stem Tide, Part Red Sea
Owls Come Back From Early Deficit to Beat UH
By Mark Anderson
Reckling Park, May 12—The Rice Owls found themselves looking at a 3-0 by the Cougars early in the first inning, but didn’t let it get them down. Instead, the Owls made adjustments all the way through the game and ended up pulling it out by a score of 7-5.
The first and most important adjustment was made by starting pitcher Bobby Bell. After missing with his location early, Bell went to his bread and butter to put the kibosh on the Cougs bats. “The key was when I started being consistent with my changeup and spotting my fastball,” Bell said. Danny Lehmann told me the key to the turnaround of Bell was his change-up. “That’s his bread and butter,” he said.
The Owls also turned it around on offense. As Brian Friday said, “After facing Brad Lincoln, you just believe that you’re going to be able to come back.” And come back the Owls did, beginning in the first inning. Henley led off the Owls’ first with a double, and advanced to third on Buchanan’s groundout to second. Brian Friday drew a walk and stole second, and Josh Rodriguez singled to drive in Henley to get the Owls on the board.
But the second inning, the Owls’ bats awakened. With one out, Luna singled to right. Lehmann followed with a single, and Luna stopping at second. Dodson drew a walk to load the bases and bring Henley back up to the plate. Henley made the most of his opportunity by singling to drive in Luna and Lehmann. Greg Buchanan hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Dodson and out the Owls up for good.
The Owls’ bats were pretty silent through the third and fourth inning, but they woke up with a bang in the fifth. Joe Savery stepped to the plate. Joe had struck out and grounded into a double play in his first two at bats. But Savery was rather savvy in this at bat, because he had learned something in the previous two at bats. “They threw mew fastballs inside in the last at bat. I was looking for it and got it right where I was looking,” said Joe afterwards. “It would have gone father if I hadn’t broke the bat.”
Broke the bat? On a home run? Savery told me,“You’d be surprised how often aluminum bats break. I hit a liner the other night and it was flattened out where I hit the ball.” Well this wasn’t any liner that Joe hit this time—it was a homer to right centerfield that made the game 5-3.
Enter Cole St. Clair, the Owls’ closer, in the sixth inning. St. Clair had been told to be ready to be used in a different role, and he was. While he didn’t stike out the Cougs with the regularity he usually strikes out hitters, he was nonetheless effective, giving up only three hits and two walks over four innings. “I did get tired, “ Cole said. “Once you get into four iinnings, you get tired, and you have to find it within yourself.”
In the eighth, the Owls put up some insurance runs. Dodson led off with a walk, and the Cougs brought in Boone to pitch to Henley. Henley popped up a bunt for the first out. Greg Buchanan hot a grounder to first, and Dodson was out at second, but Buchanan beat the throw to first. Brian Friday then triped to left center field, scoring Buchanan from first. Josh Rodriguez then doubled down te right field line to drive in Friday. Lembeck flied out to right to end the inning, but not his contribution to the game.
In the ninth, Weston led off with a single. Kingsbury followed with a single to center, putting runners on first and second. Stirneman hit a fly ball deep to Henley, but Farrington was able to take third on the throw. Now, back to Lembeck. . . .Logan hit a fly ball to him with a runner on third. Chad made the catch and a strong throw back in that forced the Cougs to hold Kingsbury at third. Pounds, pinch hitting for Cougat, hit a ball to right that would have easily scored Kingsbury, and possibly having a runner on third. But Lembeck made a difficult catch look routine, and that was the ball game.
With the series tied up at one game each, the Silver Glove Trophy, awarded to the winner of the series, will be on the line Sunday as the two teams take the field. Game time is 1 pm, with the Owls starting Craig Crow. If the first two games are any indication, this one should be a great one.
SATURDAY'S PICS POSTED TOMORROW, ALONG WITH FRIDAY'S
By Mark Anderson
Reckling Park, May 12—The Rice Owls found themselves looking at a 3-0 by the Cougars early in the first inning, but didn’t let it get them down. Instead, the Owls made adjustments all the way through the game and ended up pulling it out by a score of 7-5.
The first and most important adjustment was made by starting pitcher Bobby Bell. After missing with his location early, Bell went to his bread and butter to put the kibosh on the Cougs bats. “The key was when I started being consistent with my changeup and spotting my fastball,” Bell said. Danny Lehmann told me the key to the turnaround of Bell was his change-up. “That’s his bread and butter,” he said.
The Owls also turned it around on offense. As Brian Friday said, “After facing Brad Lincoln, you just believe that you’re going to be able to come back.” And come back the Owls did, beginning in the first inning. Henley led off the Owls’ first with a double, and advanced to third on Buchanan’s groundout to second. Brian Friday drew a walk and stole second, and Josh Rodriguez singled to drive in Henley to get the Owls on the board.
But the second inning, the Owls’ bats awakened. With one out, Luna singled to right. Lehmann followed with a single, and Luna stopping at second. Dodson drew a walk to load the bases and bring Henley back up to the plate. Henley made the most of his opportunity by singling to drive in Luna and Lehmann. Greg Buchanan hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Dodson and out the Owls up for good.
The Owls’ bats were pretty silent through the third and fourth inning, but they woke up with a bang in the fifth. Joe Savery stepped to the plate. Joe had struck out and grounded into a double play in his first two at bats. But Savery was rather savvy in this at bat, because he had learned something in the previous two at bats. “They threw mew fastballs inside in the last at bat. I was looking for it and got it right where I was looking,” said Joe afterwards. “It would have gone father if I hadn’t broke the bat.”
Broke the bat? On a home run? Savery told me,“You’d be surprised how often aluminum bats break. I hit a liner the other night and it was flattened out where I hit the ball.” Well this wasn’t any liner that Joe hit this time—it was a homer to right centerfield that made the game 5-3.
Enter Cole St. Clair, the Owls’ closer, in the sixth inning. St. Clair had been told to be ready to be used in a different role, and he was. While he didn’t stike out the Cougs with the regularity he usually strikes out hitters, he was nonetheless effective, giving up only three hits and two walks over four innings. “I did get tired, “ Cole said. “Once you get into four iinnings, you get tired, and you have to find it within yourself.”
In the eighth, the Owls put up some insurance runs. Dodson led off with a walk, and the Cougs brought in Boone to pitch to Henley. Henley popped up a bunt for the first out. Greg Buchanan hot a grounder to first, and Dodson was out at second, but Buchanan beat the throw to first. Brian Friday then triped to left center field, scoring Buchanan from first. Josh Rodriguez then doubled down te right field line to drive in Friday. Lembeck flied out to right to end the inning, but not his contribution to the game.
In the ninth, Weston led off with a single. Kingsbury followed with a single to center, putting runners on first and second. Stirneman hit a fly ball deep to Henley, but Farrington was able to take third on the throw. Now, back to Lembeck. . . .Logan hit a fly ball to him with a runner on third. Chad made the catch and a strong throw back in that forced the Cougs to hold Kingsbury at third. Pounds, pinch hitting for Cougat, hit a ball to right that would have easily scored Kingsbury, and possibly having a runner on third. But Lembeck made a difficult catch look routine, and that was the ball game.
With the series tied up at one game each, the Silver Glove Trophy, awarded to the winner of the series, will be on the line Sunday as the two teams take the field. Game time is 1 pm, with the Owls starting Craig Crow. If the first two games are any indication, this one should be a great one.
SATURDAY'S PICS POSTED TOMORROW, ALONG WITH FRIDAY'S
posted by my kid's sports pics at 10:41 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home