SUPER!!!!!
OWLS LEAP FROG OVER HORNED FROGS TO ADVANCE
Savery’s Gutty Pitching, Timely Hitting, Help Owls Advance to Super-Regional Round
By Mark Anderson
The Rice Owls became the first national seed to sweep all three games and advance into the super-regionals with a 3-1 victory over #16 TCU on Sunday evening.
The Owls scored a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth as Savery led off with a double to left. Diego Seastrunk then doubled to bring Savery in and make it a tie game. Buenger followed with a single, and Diego Seastrunk was declared out at the plate on a very controversial call (see the photo section “Safe or Out?” for pictures of this play). The Owls could do no more damage, so the score was 1-0, Owls.
Joe Savery’s day was nothing short of super. Over seven innings, he gave up only six hits and a walk. He wiggled out of threat after threat. In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Frogs had the bases loaded. Ben Carruthers hit a sacrifice fly that was ruled a sacrifice fly and error when Tyler Henley, after a long run, could not hold the ball stretching out as fully as he could. But with runners on all the bases, and one out, Steglich hit a made-to-order double play that got the Owls out of the inning and Savery off the hook.
In the sixth inning, the Owls took the lead they would never relinquish as Savery opened the inning and weas safe on an error by shortstop Kervin. Diego Seastrunk laid down a great bunt that advanced Savery to second and brought Aaron Luna to the plate. Luna had been the player of the week during the championship tournament, but couldn’t seem to buy a base hit in the regionals. However, when all the chips were down, Luna delivered an RBI single that scored Savery with the go-ahead run and put the Owls up for good.
After Trout singled to open the eighth, Coach Graham brought in Bobby Bramhall in relief of Joe Savery. Talk about playing it just right—Bramhall induced a ground ball from Friday to Buenger to Lehmann on the very first pitch. He then stuck out Adams to end the inning and preserve the lead.
The ninth got a little dicey for Bramhall and the Owls. After Vern struck out to open the inning, Woodruff reached on Seastrunk’s error, and was replaced, interestingly enough, by McGuirk, who had ignited the TCU rally against Baylor with a grand slam in the ninth inning in the first game. Kervin then walked to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Ben Carruthers. But Bramhall got Carruthers to hit a line drive straight to Luna in left for out number two, and only Austin Adams stood between the Owls and a regional championship. Bramhall took a deep breath on a 3-2 pitch and struck out Adams swinging to end the ball game and begin the celebration on the field.
For the record: this was a great regional tournament to view. Prairie View had Rice on the ropes and seeminly ready to surprise them until their defense was their undoing. Baylor almost came from behind to beat TCU in the opening game of the series. And who will forget McGuirk's bases loaded homer that helped the Frogs leap into the title game? And even in the title game, the Frogs threatened again and again, only to have those threats wiped away.
The Owls opponent for the super-regional has yet top be determined. Game one is Friday.
Savery’s Gutty Pitching, Timely Hitting, Help Owls Advance to Super-Regional Round
By Mark Anderson
The Rice Owls became the first national seed to sweep all three games and advance into the super-regionals with a 3-1 victory over #16 TCU on Sunday evening.
The Owls scored a run of their own in the bottom of the fourth as Savery led off with a double to left. Diego Seastrunk then doubled to bring Savery in and make it a tie game. Buenger followed with a single, and Diego Seastrunk was declared out at the plate on a very controversial call (see the photo section “Safe or Out?” for pictures of this play). The Owls could do no more damage, so the score was 1-0, Owls.
Joe Savery’s day was nothing short of super. Over seven innings, he gave up only six hits and a walk. He wiggled out of threat after threat. In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Frogs had the bases loaded. Ben Carruthers hit a sacrifice fly that was ruled a sacrifice fly and error when Tyler Henley, after a long run, could not hold the ball stretching out as fully as he could. But with runners on all the bases, and one out, Steglich hit a made-to-order double play that got the Owls out of the inning and Savery off the hook.
In the sixth inning, the Owls took the lead they would never relinquish as Savery opened the inning and weas safe on an error by shortstop Kervin. Diego Seastrunk laid down a great bunt that advanced Savery to second and brought Aaron Luna to the plate. Luna had been the player of the week during the championship tournament, but couldn’t seem to buy a base hit in the regionals. However, when all the chips were down, Luna delivered an RBI single that scored Savery with the go-ahead run and put the Owls up for good.
After Trout singled to open the eighth, Coach Graham brought in Bobby Bramhall in relief of Joe Savery. Talk about playing it just right—Bramhall induced a ground ball from Friday to Buenger to Lehmann on the very first pitch. He then stuck out Adams to end the inning and preserve the lead.
The ninth got a little dicey for Bramhall and the Owls. After Vern struck out to open the inning, Woodruff reached on Seastrunk’s error, and was replaced, interestingly enough, by McGuirk, who had ignited the TCU rally against Baylor with a grand slam in the ninth inning in the first game. Kervin then walked to bring the tying run to the plate in the person of Ben Carruthers. But Bramhall got Carruthers to hit a line drive straight to Luna in left for out number two, and only Austin Adams stood between the Owls and a regional championship. Bramhall took a deep breath on a 3-2 pitch and struck out Adams swinging to end the ball game and begin the celebration on the field.
For the record: this was a great regional tournament to view. Prairie View had Rice on the ropes and seeminly ready to surprise them until their defense was their undoing. Baylor almost came from behind to beat TCU in the opening game of the series. And who will forget McGuirk's bases loaded homer that helped the Frogs leap into the title game? And even in the title game, the Frogs threatened again and again, only to have those threats wiped away.
The Owls opponent for the super-regional has yet top be determined. Game one is Friday.
posted by my kid's sports pics at 1:38 PM
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