RICE BREAKS CURSE IN A BIG WAY
Rice rallies from 10-4 Deficit to take Game, 15-10
By Mark Anderson
For anyone that has followed the Rice Owls this year, there’s no question that this team can hit and hit in the clutch.
They proved that in a big way Saturday, coming back from a 10-4 deficit to take game one from a stunned Louisville Cardinal team by a score of 15-10.
Not the Best Start
It didn’t start well for the Owls. The first pitch Ryan Berry threw hit leadoff hitter Boomer Whiting. Berry wasn’t pleased in the least by the call at the plate, feeling that Whiting had made no attempt to get out of the way. Berry would be justified later when Whiting was hit again, but the umpire called it a ball and he hit a pop foul that Friday would make an outstanding catch on.
But that was later. Meanwhile, back in the first inning, after Johnson flied out to right, Berry hit Burton with another pitch. After Howes struck out swinging, Castillo singled up the middle to bring home Louisville’s first run. But Dominguez ended the inning by striking out and kept the damage minimized to a score of 1-0.
The Owls looked like they were going to get back in it when Friday led off the bottom of the first with a double. He would be marooned at second after Gayhart flied to right and Henley and Savery struck out to end the inning.
In the Cardinal second, Rodriguez singled to left to open the inning. Alfonso laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Rodriguez might have been had at second as he did a bumbling and stumbling act there, but the play went to first. Berry then uncorked a wild pitch to send Rodriguez to third. Cates then grounded to Friday, who had no play at the plate, and the Cardinals increased their lead to 2-0.
An Opportunity Disappears
After Lehmann was hit leading off the second, the Owls had another opportunity when, with two outs, Buenger singled to center. But again, the Owls couldn’t capitalize, and it remained 2-0.
It didn’t stay that way long, however. Burton led off with a single, and was erased on a 6-4 fielder’s choice, leaving Howes at first. Castillo singled, bringing up Dominguez. There was no bumbling and stumbling act when Dominguez swung the bat, and launched
a three run homer over Jordan Dodson and the left centerfield fence to make the score 5-0. After Berry struck out Rodriguez, Alfonso doubled and that ended Berry’s first appearance in the CWS. Graham brought in Langwell, who seduced Cates into a fly ball to end the inning, but the Owls were down, 5-0.
Owl bats wake up
But the Owl bats finally awakened in Omaha in the bottom of the inning when Friday fouled out. Gayhart singled up the middle, and so did Henley. Savery flied out for the second out, making it look like the Owls would not score again.
Wrong.
But Danny Lehmann took the ball to right for a base hit that scored Gayhart. Seastrunk’s single brought home Henley and moved Lehmann to third. Luna’s single brought Lehmann home and moved Seastrunk to second. Jess Buenger’s single brought Seastrunk across the plate. However, Luna rounded third and was caught in no man’s land and tagged out for the third out of the inning. But that didn’t happen before four runs had scored, and the Owls were within a run, 5-4.
The Louisville fourth began with Langwell walking Whiting. Whiting, however, was pegged out by Danny Lehmann throwing down to Brian Friday. And it was a good thing, because Johnson hit the first of two home runs on the day to make it 6-4, Cardinals. But they could muster no threat after that in the fourth.
The Louisville fifth inning was a different story. With one out, Alfonso singled. Cates followed with a double to left that moved Alfonso to third. Alfonso and to dive back into third because of over-running it and was just able to get back in. Whiting singled in a relieved Alfonso, and that was it for Langwell as Graham brought in Scott Longergan.
But even Graham could not have imagined what would happen on the very next pitch.
Remember Johnson—the guy who homered in the previous inning? Guess what he did—on the very first pitch? CHA-CHING! Lonergan was the most surprised person in the ballpark, because, as he told the blog afterwards, “I made my pitch.” Johnson had simply hit Longergan’s best pitch. While Howes would reach with two outs, it was of no consequence, but Louisville had added four runs to make it 10-4, Cardinals.
Rice rallies from 10-4 Deficit to take Game, 15-10
By Mark Anderson
For anyone that has followed the Rice Owls this year, there’s no question that this team can hit and hit in the clutch.
They proved that in a big way Saturday, coming back from a 10-4 deficit to take game one from a stunned Louisville Cardinal team by a score of 15-10.
Not the Best Start
It didn’t start well for the Owls. The first pitch Ryan Berry threw hit leadoff hitter Boomer Whiting. Berry wasn’t pleased in the least by the call at the plate, feeling that Whiting had made no attempt to get out of the way. Berry would be justified later when Whiting was hit again, but the umpire called it a ball and he hit a pop foul that Friday would make an outstanding catch on.
But that was later. Meanwhile, back in the first inning, after Johnson flied out to right, Berry hit Burton with another pitch. After Howes struck out swinging, Castillo singled up the middle to bring home Louisville’s first run. But Dominguez ended the inning by striking out and kept the damage minimized to a score of 1-0.
The Owls looked like they were going to get back in it when Friday led off the bottom of the first with a double. He would be marooned at second after Gayhart flied to right and Henley and Savery struck out to end the inning.
In the Cardinal second, Rodriguez singled to left to open the inning. Alfonso laid down a sacrifice bunt, but Rodriguez might have been had at second as he did a bumbling and stumbling act there, but the play went to first. Berry then uncorked a wild pitch to send Rodriguez to third. Cates then grounded to Friday, who had no play at the plate, and the Cardinals increased their lead to 2-0.
An Opportunity Disappears
After Lehmann was hit leading off the second, the Owls had another opportunity when, with two outs, Buenger singled to center. But again, the Owls couldn’t capitalize, and it remained 2-0.
It didn’t stay that way long, however. Burton led off with a single, and was erased on a 6-4 fielder’s choice, leaving Howes at first. Castillo singled, bringing up Dominguez. There was no bumbling and stumbling act when Dominguez swung the bat, and launched
a three run homer over Jordan Dodson and the left centerfield fence to make the score 5-0. After Berry struck out Rodriguez, Alfonso doubled and that ended Berry’s first appearance in the CWS. Graham brought in Langwell, who seduced Cates into a fly ball to end the inning, but the Owls were down, 5-0.
Owl bats wake up
But the Owl bats finally awakened in Omaha in the bottom of the inning when Friday fouled out. Gayhart singled up the middle, and so did Henley. Savery flied out for the second out, making it look like the Owls would not score again.
Wrong.
But Danny Lehmann took the ball to right for a base hit that scored Gayhart. Seastrunk’s single brought home Henley and moved Lehmann to third. Luna’s single brought Lehmann home and moved Seastrunk to second. Jess Buenger’s single brought Seastrunk across the plate. However, Luna rounded third and was caught in no man’s land and tagged out for the third out of the inning. But that didn’t happen before four runs had scored, and the Owls were within a run, 5-4.
The Louisville fourth began with Langwell walking Whiting. Whiting, however, was pegged out by Danny Lehmann throwing down to Brian Friday. And it was a good thing, because Johnson hit the first of two home runs on the day to make it 6-4, Cardinals. But they could muster no threat after that in the fourth.
The Louisville fifth inning was a different story. With one out, Alfonso singled. Cates followed with a double to left that moved Alfonso to third. Alfonso and to dive back into third because of over-running it and was just able to get back in. Whiting singled in a relieved Alfonso, and that was it for Langwell as Graham brought in Scott Longergan.
But even Graham could not have imagined what would happen on the very next pitch.
Remember Johnson—the guy who homered in the previous inning? Guess what he did—on the very first pitch? CHA-CHING! Lonergan was the most surprised person in the ballpark, because, as he told the blog afterwards, “I made my pitch.” Johnson had simply hit Longergan’s best pitch. While Howes would reach with two outs, it was of no consequence, but Louisville had added four runs to make it 10-4, Cardinals.
The Beginning of the End
If you turned off the TV and stomped away, you missed one of the best comebacks you could ever hope to witness. Those ten runs looked huge, but not to the Owls. Graham said afterwards, at that point in the game, “We’re going to win the ballgame. Can anyone truly define baseball? That’s what makes it truly a great game. Unpredictable. Obviously I didn’t think it would be 15-10.”
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Danny Lehmann singled, and Diego Seastrunk followed with another single to put Lehmann at third. But at this point, Louisville began to fall apart as a Luna grounder to short ended up as an error, scoring Lehmann, and put runners on second and third. Buenger hit a sacrifice fly to score Seastrunk and move Luna to third. Dodson then doubled to left center, bringing in Luna. That ended Pitt’s day on the mound for Louisville. Logsdon got Friday on a lineout to short to end the inning, but the Owls had scored three to make the score 10-7.
Dominguez led off the sixth for the Cardinals with a single, but was immediately erased trying to steal, and now the Owls were starting to get it together as Longergan pitched another shutout inning.
Homers by Savery and Luna inch the Owls Closer
In the bottom of the sixth, if momentum had not swung to the Savery came Owls, it did here. Joe Savery came up with two outs. He had been robbed twice—once by the rightfielder, and once by the centerfielder. But not this time. Joe swung, and CHA-CHING! He hit it where they weren’t for a home run, and the Owls were within two runs, 10-8.
An inning later, Aaron Luna, who had been struggling at the plate in the regionals and super-regionals, put all that frustration behind him with one swing of the bat, and CHA CHING!—the Owls now trailed by a single run.
Bobby B. brings relief
One of the Greatest Innings in Rice Owl Baseball
Bramhall keeping the game at 10-9 in the eighth opened the door to one of the greatest moments in Rice Owl baseball in the bottom of the eighth. Magnusen was brought in to shut the door. Instead, he opened it, and then lost the handle and the key as well. Lembeck began by singling to right. Henley laid down a bunt to move him up, but beat the throw, putting two on and bringing up Savery. Savery singled to bring in Lembeck and put Henley at second and knot the game up at 10-10.
Not for long.
Lehmann came to the plate to lay down a sacrifice bunt. With two strikes, he turned as if to bunt—then run and putting Savery at third. After Seastrunk grounded out, holding the runners, Luna was walked intentionally. Buenger flied out to left, bringing Lehmann home. Dodson cleared the bases with a booming double to left. Brian Friday reached on another error by shortstop—a costly one. Lemback followed Friday by reaching on an error—this tme by the third baseman as Dodson scored. The inning ended as Friday tried for third, but was pegged out by the shortstop.
If that doesn’t qualify as one of the great innings in Rice Owl baseball history—and one of the most important and exciting as well—I don’t know what will.
UPCOMING
The Owls will play the North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday at 6pm. Joe Savery is expected to get the start for the Owls.
The Owls will play the North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday at 6pm. Joe Savery is expected to get the start for the Owls.
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