OWLS WIN!
OM-A-HA! OM-A-HA!
By Mark Anderson
In a one game, winner take all match, the Rice Owls defeated the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 9-5 to advance to the College World Series. The Owls will play the winner of the South Carolina-Georgia game tonight in the opening game of the College World Series.
Rice’s high noon shootout didn’t start out so well—but that actually may have been a blessing in disguise. Craig Crow, tabbed by Coach Graham, was not on his game—and on a very short leash to boot. Caufield was hit by a 3-0 pitch to open the game. Raley singled to center—the only hit off of Crow. That single moved Caufield to third. Crow then walked Rohlinger, and Smith followed with a sacrifice fly top plate3 Caufield. Frank Rodriguez grounded to deep short to bring in the second run of the inning, and that was where Wayne Graham brought the quick hook—and Cole St. Clair. Cole would later laugh and say, “It was fun to see the pitcher I used to be” in reference to starting and going deep into the game. Graham looked at Cole and said, “The pitcher you used to be?”
Graham explained afterwards that he had told St. Clair to be ready early. “You can’t afford to get down with a card like that unplayed. He’s one of the premium pitchers in the country and it would have been foolish for the game to be out of hand before he got in there. It just wasn’t going to happen.”
Rice answered in the bottom of the first when with one out, Greg Buchanan walked. After Friday flied out, Josh Rodriguez stepped to the plate. On a 1-0 count, Mottern made his first mistake of the game by buzzing J-Rod up and in. The next pitch was his second—away—and J-Rod was ready for it, stroking it down the right field line for a two run homer to even the game. That was the beginning of the end for Mottern, who followed with walks to Savery and Luna before being lifted. Brownell got the next out, but the damage had already been done.
IN the third, Oklahoma got a run of St. Clair when Raley singled through the left side, and then stole second. He came home on a booming double by Smith to take the lead, 3-2.
The Owls answered in the bottom of the fourth when Luna led off in the bottom of the fourth with a homer to left to tie the game. But Oklahoma answered in the fifth when Raley homered to give the Sooners a 4-3 lead. St. Clair told me afterwards that on that pitch, his foot slipped as he delivered the pitch and it caused it to come in high.
The Owls didn’t answer in the bottom of the fifth, and fans in Reckling started to get a little jittery. But this team has come back from behind all year long, and come back they did—with a big five spot. In the sixth, Danny Lehmann led off with a single to right. Henley walked on a 3-1 pitch. That brought Joe Savage in top pitch for the Sooners, and Greg Buchanan greeted him with a single. That loaded the bases, but Brian Friday, usually a clutch hitter in these situations, popped up. But Josh Rodriguez picked him—and the Owls –up with a solid single through the left side that scored two. That brought up Joe Savery, who homered to right centerfield on a 1-2 pitch to put the exclamation point on the inning—and the season.
Joe Savery has had his ups and downs this season, but lately has become a pitcher’s nightmare in these situations. After the game, Joe talked about how some players just rise to the occasion. I asked him what in his opinion makes the difference between someone who can perform in those situations and those who can’t. He told me that in his opinion, the difference was understanding who you are, and “one play should not define you or one at-bat.”
After Savery homered, Luna hit a booming double to right, and then the fun really began as assistant coach Andrew McGuire was ejected for calling balls and strikes. That led to head coach Sonny Golloway’s imitation of Billy Martin when he covered up home plate with dirt—and was ejected as well. The second ejection was one that escaped many. But it did cause quite a delay in the game, and Kenny Ford and Jordan Dodson struck out to end the sixth. However, the Owls had the lead they would never relinquish.
Cole St. Clair began the seventh by hitting Hughes with a pitch, and that brought Graham out with t he hook. Bryce Cox came in, and shut the door the rest of the way, striking out four while giving up only two hits over the final three innings. Cox made the last out himself when he fielded a slow roller and tagged out Raley to end the ballgame and put the Owls in the College World Series.
By Mark Anderson
In a one game, winner take all match, the Rice Owls defeated the Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 9-5 to advance to the College World Series. The Owls will play the winner of the South Carolina-Georgia game tonight in the opening game of the College World Series.
Rice’s high noon shootout didn’t start out so well—but that actually may have been a blessing in disguise. Craig Crow, tabbed by Coach Graham, was not on his game—and on a very short leash to boot. Caufield was hit by a 3-0 pitch to open the game. Raley singled to center—the only hit off of Crow. That single moved Caufield to third. Crow then walked Rohlinger, and Smith followed with a sacrifice fly top plate3 Caufield. Frank Rodriguez grounded to deep short to bring in the second run of the inning, and that was where Wayne Graham brought the quick hook—and Cole St. Clair. Cole would later laugh and say, “It was fun to see the pitcher I used to be” in reference to starting and going deep into the game. Graham looked at Cole and said, “The pitcher you used to be?”
Graham explained afterwards that he had told St. Clair to be ready early. “You can’t afford to get down with a card like that unplayed. He’s one of the premium pitchers in the country and it would have been foolish for the game to be out of hand before he got in there. It just wasn’t going to happen.”
Rice answered in the bottom of the first when with one out, Greg Buchanan walked. After Friday flied out, Josh Rodriguez stepped to the plate. On a 1-0 count, Mottern made his first mistake of the game by buzzing J-Rod up and in. The next pitch was his second—away—and J-Rod was ready for it, stroking it down the right field line for a two run homer to even the game. That was the beginning of the end for Mottern, who followed with walks to Savery and Luna before being lifted. Brownell got the next out, but the damage had already been done.
IN the third, Oklahoma got a run of St. Clair when Raley singled through the left side, and then stole second. He came home on a booming double by Smith to take the lead, 3-2.
The Owls answered in the bottom of the fourth when Luna led off in the bottom of the fourth with a homer to left to tie the game. But Oklahoma answered in the fifth when Raley homered to give the Sooners a 4-3 lead. St. Clair told me afterwards that on that pitch, his foot slipped as he delivered the pitch and it caused it to come in high.
The Owls didn’t answer in the bottom of the fifth, and fans in Reckling started to get a little jittery. But this team has come back from behind all year long, and come back they did—with a big five spot. In the sixth, Danny Lehmann led off with a single to right. Henley walked on a 3-1 pitch. That brought Joe Savage in top pitch for the Sooners, and Greg Buchanan greeted him with a single. That loaded the bases, but Brian Friday, usually a clutch hitter in these situations, popped up. But Josh Rodriguez picked him—and the Owls –up with a solid single through the left side that scored two. That brought up Joe Savery, who homered to right centerfield on a 1-2 pitch to put the exclamation point on the inning—and the season.
Joe Savery has had his ups and downs this season, but lately has become a pitcher’s nightmare in these situations. After the game, Joe talked about how some players just rise to the occasion. I asked him what in his opinion makes the difference between someone who can perform in those situations and those who can’t. He told me that in his opinion, the difference was understanding who you are, and “one play should not define you or one at-bat.”
After Savery homered, Luna hit a booming double to right, and then the fun really began as assistant coach Andrew McGuire was ejected for calling balls and strikes. That led to head coach Sonny Golloway’s imitation of Billy Martin when he covered up home plate with dirt—and was ejected as well. The second ejection was one that escaped many. But it did cause quite a delay in the game, and Kenny Ford and Jordan Dodson struck out to end the sixth. However, the Owls had the lead they would never relinquish.
Cole St. Clair began the seventh by hitting Hughes with a pitch, and that brought Graham out with t he hook. Bryce Cox came in, and shut the door the rest of the way, striking out four while giving up only two hits over the final three innings. Cox made the last out himself when he fielded a slow roller and tagged out Raley to end the ballgame and put the Owls in the College World Series.
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