GAME OVER
Rice Ends 10 Game Losing Streak, 7-4
By Mark Anderson
The Rice Owls ended a ten game losing skid to the Longhorns in team fashion tonight as they beat their nemesis and in-state rival by a score of 7-4.
Chris Kelley pitched the game of his college career tonight, fiving up only four hits while striking out seven. He opened the first by striking out the first two hitters he faced, and his strikeout total tonight was the highest of the year. But it wasn’t just about strikeouts—he was in total command of his game. Coach Graham had nothing but high praise for Kelley’s effort, saying “he looked like a weekend starter.”
Meanwhile, in the bottom of the first, Tyler Henley set the tone of the game with a ringing triple. Chad Lembeck then brought him home on a sacrifice fly to put the Owls up for good, 1-0.
This year, the Longhorns have been very explosive in the first two innings, outscoring their opponents by a total of 76-21 in the first two innings alone. But that explosion never happened tonight. Kelley was in a groove, striking out five in the first three innings, including the side in the third inning.
Meanwhile, the middle innings belonged to the Owls, as they scored five runs. In the fourth, Savery was hit by a pitch from Wood, and went to second when Wood walked Luna. That brought up “The Bellville Banger,” Jess Buenger, who singled to drive in Savery and finish off Wood.
As Texas pitcher Pat McCrory began to warm up, there was a hint that something else was heating up—the Texas bench towards the home plate umpire. As McCrory took his first warm up pitch, home plate umpire David Rogers squatted behind the catcher, and gave a strike call as he looked right at Augie and said, “Now that’s a strike!”—loud enough to be heard clearly in the stands. It wouldn’t be the last time Augie had words for him,
After the warmups were over and the umpire had made his point, Seastrunk pinch-hit for Lehmann, and hit a rocket to third, where Suttle stepped on the bag to end the threat for Texas.
The Owls added two more in the fifth when Padron led off with a walk, and Henley also walked. Lembeck laid down a successful sacrifice, moving the runners to second and third with one out. Padron scored on Friday’s groundout to third, which brought up Savery. The Horns decided to intentionally walk Savery and face Luna—a move that backfired when Luna hit a sharp double down the leftfield line that scored Henley and moved Savery to third. At this point, the Horns brought in Keith Shinaberry, and if you saw Shinaberry throw a pitch, you can understand why he went to “the city of the weird.” He got Buenger to fly out to end the inning, leaving the score at 4-1.
In the sixth, the Horns finally got lightning in a bottle when Kyle Russell connected off of starter Chris Kelley, but that would be all the Horns would be able to manage off of him to make the score 4-2.
Rice pushed their lead even further in the sixth when with two outs, Padron doubled and Henley walked, bringing up Chad Lembeck. Lembeck hit a booming double off of Shinaberry to make the score 6-2 and end Shinaberry’s night.
The Texas seventh was a little adventurous. Scott Longeran came in to relieve Kelley, but before it was said and done, many in the stands were reaching for Rolaids—and calling for Cole St. Clair. Peoples led off with a single to right, and then the adventure began in earnest. Tucker reached on an error by Longeran and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Longan. That was all Graham needed to see as he brought in St. Clair with no outs. Danks hit a one hopper back to St. Clair for the first out with Tucker on third. After Wheeless struck out, Russell walked, and Suttle popped out to Savery to end the inning. But Texas had crept back into the game, with the score being 6-4 after 6.
The bottom of the seventh was the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence—the Owls were going to win this game! Savery stepped up, still hurting from getting hit earlier in the game. He gave the Horns some pain of their own as he launched one over the left centerfield fence for a home run of his own to make it 7-4, Owls.
The last two innings were Cole St. Clair’s. Cole was clearly in command, and the Horns could manage nothing off him from the start of the eighth inning on. He not only closed the door—he locked it tight and the BBQ was on, because the Horns were done—well done—after the seventh.
Rice Ends 10 Game Losing Streak, 7-4
By Mark Anderson
The Rice Owls ended a ten game losing skid to the Longhorns in team fashion tonight as they beat their nemesis and in-state rival by a score of 7-4.
Chris Kelley pitched the game of his college career tonight, fiving up only four hits while striking out seven. He opened the first by striking out the first two hitters he faced, and his strikeout total tonight was the highest of the year. But it wasn’t just about strikeouts—he was in total command of his game. Coach Graham had nothing but high praise for Kelley’s effort, saying “he looked like a weekend starter.”
Meanwhile, in the bottom of the first, Tyler Henley set the tone of the game with a ringing triple. Chad Lembeck then brought him home on a sacrifice fly to put the Owls up for good, 1-0.
This year, the Longhorns have been very explosive in the first two innings, outscoring their opponents by a total of 76-21 in the first two innings alone. But that explosion never happened tonight. Kelley was in a groove, striking out five in the first three innings, including the side in the third inning.
Meanwhile, the middle innings belonged to the Owls, as they scored five runs. In the fourth, Savery was hit by a pitch from Wood, and went to second when Wood walked Luna. That brought up “The Bellville Banger,” Jess Buenger, who singled to drive in Savery and finish off Wood.
As Texas pitcher Pat McCrory began to warm up, there was a hint that something else was heating up—the Texas bench towards the home plate umpire. As McCrory took his first warm up pitch, home plate umpire David Rogers squatted behind the catcher, and gave a strike call as he looked right at Augie and said, “Now that’s a strike!”—loud enough to be heard clearly in the stands. It wouldn’t be the last time Augie had words for him,
After the warmups were over and the umpire had made his point, Seastrunk pinch-hit for Lehmann, and hit a rocket to third, where Suttle stepped on the bag to end the threat for Texas.
The Owls added two more in the fifth when Padron led off with a walk, and Henley also walked. Lembeck laid down a successful sacrifice, moving the runners to second and third with one out. Padron scored on Friday’s groundout to third, which brought up Savery. The Horns decided to intentionally walk Savery and face Luna—a move that backfired when Luna hit a sharp double down the leftfield line that scored Henley and moved Savery to third. At this point, the Horns brought in Keith Shinaberry, and if you saw Shinaberry throw a pitch, you can understand why he went to “the city of the weird.” He got Buenger to fly out to end the inning, leaving the score at 4-1.
In the sixth, the Horns finally got lightning in a bottle when Kyle Russell connected off of starter Chris Kelley, but that would be all the Horns would be able to manage off of him to make the score 4-2.
Rice pushed their lead even further in the sixth when with two outs, Padron doubled and Henley walked, bringing up Chad Lembeck. Lembeck hit a booming double off of Shinaberry to make the score 6-2 and end Shinaberry’s night.
The Texas seventh was a little adventurous. Scott Longeran came in to relieve Kelley, but before it was said and done, many in the stands were reaching for Rolaids—and calling for Cole St. Clair. Peoples led off with a single to right, and then the adventure began in earnest. Tucker reached on an error by Longeran and advanced to third on a wild pitch by Longan. That was all Graham needed to see as he brought in St. Clair with no outs. Danks hit a one hopper back to St. Clair for the first out with Tucker on third. After Wheeless struck out, Russell walked, and Suttle popped out to Savery to end the inning. But Texas had crept back into the game, with the score being 6-4 after 6.
The bottom of the seventh was the exclamation mark at the end of the sentence—the Owls were going to win this game! Savery stepped up, still hurting from getting hit earlier in the game. He gave the Horns some pain of their own as he launched one over the left centerfield fence for a home run of his own to make it 7-4, Owls.
The last two innings were Cole St. Clair’s. Cole was clearly in command, and the Horns could manage nothing off him from the start of the eighth inning on. He not only closed the door—he locked it tight and the BBQ was on, because the Horns were done—well done—after the seventh.
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