When It Rains. . . It Pours
Deluge of Offense by Rice Sinks UH
By Mark Anderson
May 14, Reckling Park—The rain that soaked Reckling Park came after the Owls claimed a 13-3 win over the Houston Cougars on Sunday. But the Owls rained one hit after another (fifteen in all), including six extra base hits, to send the Cougars back across town with a second consecutive loss.
The Cougars jumped on the Owls and starter Joe Savery early. After a groundout to open the game, Isa Garcia doubled to right (a very popular spot in this game) and Weston followed with his third homerun of the Silver Glove series, a no doubter, to give the Cougs a 2-0 lead.
Rice came right back, however, in the bottom of the first. With one out, Buchanan tripled to right field. Brian Friday’s RBI single made it 2-1. Rodriguez grounded out on a fielder’s choice, moving Friday to second. Joe Savery, who had a great Silver Glove series (6-13, 2 HRS, 6 RBIs, and a 1.000 slugging percentage), singled up the middle to tie the game at 2-2.
The Cougars added another run in the third inning when Kingsbury singled, stole second, then advanced to third on Stirneman’s single. Stirneman stole second, and Logan reached .on a fielder’s choice to deep short. Stirneman scored with ease, but Kingsbury got rather adventurous and tried to score from second, only to find the ball waiting in Danny Lehmann’s glove. As it turned out, the third inning would be the last time the Cougars would cross home plate. When Craig Crow (the Wild Card Award winner in this series) entered the game, he cut off the flow of runs for good. “I was feeling great, and everything was working for me,” Crow said afterwards.
While the flow of runs was being cut off on the Cougar side, a deluge was about to take place on the Rice side. Rodriguez led off the fourth with a single to—where else?—right field. With Joe Savery at the plate, Flores worked the count to 2-2. Flores tried to sneak a fastball on the inside corner. Savery explained, “The ball drifted into the middle of the plate.” After Savery connected, the ball had provided beverage service before it came back down well beyond the right centerfield wall. Aaron Luna followed with a double to left, and Lehmann was hit by a pitch. Jordon Dodson followed with a perfect bunt down the third base line, loading the bases. That brought Aaron Brown in to pitch, and Travis Reagan greeted him with an RBI single to right centerfield. Reagan was out on Henley’s fielder’s choice, but drove in another run as Lehmann scored. Buchanan ended the inning with a ground ball that turned into a double play, but the tide had turned and Rice had a 6-3 lead.
Things got a little on the feisty side in the top of the fifth with Weston at bat and Craig Crow on the mound. Crow/’s pitch sailed directly over Weston’s head. That left the Cougs seeing red, because many on the UH sidelines interpreted that as a purpose pitch, and it sent nostrils and tempers flaring. When Weston grounded out, he ran into Joe Savery at first, and heated words were exchanged.
The Owls had the best response in the bottom of the fifth. Brian Friday stepped to the plate and homered to make it a 7-4 game. The Ow3ls then showed some composure and restraint when Aaron Luna was hit one batter later. But the Owls wouldn’t score again in the fifth. They saved the best fro the sixth.
The sixth inning started with Jordan Dodosn drawing a full count walk. Reagan laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Dodson up to second. Henley then singled to make the score 8-3. Buchanan was then hit by a pitch. That brought up Friday, who singled to make the score 9-3. Laird replaced Boone at this point, but it was all over but the shouting—literally and otherwise. Laird opened up with a wild pitch, and then walked Rodriguez tro load the bases. That brought up “Smoking” Joe Savery, who doubled down the left filed line, driving in two more runs. Rodriguez then scored from third on a grounder to third. Lehmann ended the inning by lining out to third,m but the score stood at 12-3 Owls.
The Owls mercifully put an end to the Cougar misery in the seventh. Dodson led off with a walk. After Reagan flied out, Henley singled, putting runners on first and second. Buchanan stepped to the plate and hit an apparent triple. But because it basically was a walk off hit, Buchanan was credited with a singled, Dodson scored, and the ball game ended at 13-3 instead of 14-3.
For the Owls, this series win was very important, because it put the Cougars two and a half games behind with the final week of conference play looming. The Owls travel to Marshall this coming weekend. The Owls simply must continue to “take care of business” to win the C-USA title. The Cougs have one game left on their printed schedule; so one at Marshall should be enough to clinch the title. Hopefully it will be a “three and out” series for the Owls. Congrats to the Owls and to Coach Graham and his staff for getting the Owls into this position. Bring it home, guys!
SILVER SERIES NOTES: Matt Weston had an outstanding series against the Owls. With his three home runs, he had a slugging percentage that was out if this world at 2.000. But another thing can’t be overlooked—he had a had in every single run scored by the Cougs. . . . The Owls have won the Silver Glove series every year since its’ existence except for one. . . Brett Logan and Jake Stewart can testify to how good the Owls’ pitching is—both were the only regulars for UH held hitless. . . .
By Mark Anderson
May 14, Reckling Park—The rain that soaked Reckling Park came after the Owls claimed a 13-3 win over the Houston Cougars on Sunday. But the Owls rained one hit after another (fifteen in all), including six extra base hits, to send the Cougars back across town with a second consecutive loss.
The Cougars jumped on the Owls and starter Joe Savery early. After a groundout to open the game, Isa Garcia doubled to right (a very popular spot in this game) and Weston followed with his third homerun of the Silver Glove series, a no doubter, to give the Cougs a 2-0 lead.
Rice came right back, however, in the bottom of the first. With one out, Buchanan tripled to right field. Brian Friday’s RBI single made it 2-1. Rodriguez grounded out on a fielder’s choice, moving Friday to second. Joe Savery, who had a great Silver Glove series (6-13, 2 HRS, 6 RBIs, and a 1.000 slugging percentage), singled up the middle to tie the game at 2-2.
The Cougars added another run in the third inning when Kingsbury singled, stole second, then advanced to third on Stirneman’s single. Stirneman stole second, and Logan reached .on a fielder’s choice to deep short. Stirneman scored with ease, but Kingsbury got rather adventurous and tried to score from second, only to find the ball waiting in Danny Lehmann’s glove. As it turned out, the third inning would be the last time the Cougars would cross home plate. When Craig Crow (the Wild Card Award winner in this series) entered the game, he cut off the flow of runs for good. “I was feeling great, and everything was working for me,” Crow said afterwards.
While the flow of runs was being cut off on the Cougar side, a deluge was about to take place on the Rice side. Rodriguez led off the fourth with a single to—where else?—right field. With Joe Savery at the plate, Flores worked the count to 2-2. Flores tried to sneak a fastball on the inside corner. Savery explained, “The ball drifted into the middle of the plate.” After Savery connected, the ball had provided beverage service before it came back down well beyond the right centerfield wall. Aaron Luna followed with a double to left, and Lehmann was hit by a pitch. Jordon Dodson followed with a perfect bunt down the third base line, loading the bases. That brought Aaron Brown in to pitch, and Travis Reagan greeted him with an RBI single to right centerfield. Reagan was out on Henley’s fielder’s choice, but drove in another run as Lehmann scored. Buchanan ended the inning with a ground ball that turned into a double play, but the tide had turned and Rice had a 6-3 lead.
Things got a little on the feisty side in the top of the fifth with Weston at bat and Craig Crow on the mound. Crow/’s pitch sailed directly over Weston’s head. That left the Cougs seeing red, because many on the UH sidelines interpreted that as a purpose pitch, and it sent nostrils and tempers flaring. When Weston grounded out, he ran into Joe Savery at first, and heated words were exchanged.
The Owls had the best response in the bottom of the fifth. Brian Friday stepped to the plate and homered to make it a 7-4 game. The Ow3ls then showed some composure and restraint when Aaron Luna was hit one batter later. But the Owls wouldn’t score again in the fifth. They saved the best fro the sixth.
The sixth inning started with Jordan Dodosn drawing a full count walk. Reagan laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving Dodson up to second. Henley then singled to make the score 8-3. Buchanan was then hit by a pitch. That brought up Friday, who singled to make the score 9-3. Laird replaced Boone at this point, but it was all over but the shouting—literally and otherwise. Laird opened up with a wild pitch, and then walked Rodriguez tro load the bases. That brought up “Smoking” Joe Savery, who doubled down the left filed line, driving in two more runs. Rodriguez then scored from third on a grounder to third. Lehmann ended the inning by lining out to third,m but the score stood at 12-3 Owls.
The Owls mercifully put an end to the Cougar misery in the seventh. Dodson led off with a walk. After Reagan flied out, Henley singled, putting runners on first and second. Buchanan stepped to the plate and hit an apparent triple. But because it basically was a walk off hit, Buchanan was credited with a singled, Dodson scored, and the ball game ended at 13-3 instead of 14-3.
For the Owls, this series win was very important, because it put the Cougars two and a half games behind with the final week of conference play looming. The Owls travel to Marshall this coming weekend. The Owls simply must continue to “take care of business” to win the C-USA title. The Cougs have one game left on their printed schedule; so one at Marshall should be enough to clinch the title. Hopefully it will be a “three and out” series for the Owls. Congrats to the Owls and to Coach Graham and his staff for getting the Owls into this position. Bring it home, guys!
SILVER SERIES NOTES: Matt Weston had an outstanding series against the Owls. With his three home runs, he had a slugging percentage that was out if this world at 2.000. But another thing can’t be overlooked—he had a had in every single run scored by the Cougs. . . . The Owls have won the Silver Glove series every year since its’ existence except for one. . . Brett Logan and Jake Stewart can testify to how good the Owls’ pitching is—both were the only regulars for UH held hitless. . . .
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