Owls defeat Aggies 9-7 in first game of Super Regional
A record crowd of 5,368 spectators filled Reckling Park on Saturday to witness a Super Regional rematch between Rice and Texas A&M University. The Aggies could not prevent history from repeating itself as senior designated hitter Jordan Dodson again played the hero in the Owls' 9-7 win. Mimicking last year's performance, Dodson had the crowd seeing déj? vu as he broke a tie to pull the Owls ahead in game one. On the day, he had four RBIs spread across three hits, an impressive feat considering he entered the game batting .167. He raised his batting average by nearly 30 points by the end of the game.
"Some times it is tough to fight out of a slump," head coach Wayne Graham said about Dodson's season difficulties. "We just wait for the moment when we think he has got something back. I liked his attitude, and I liked the way he was swinging the bat."
Coach Graham's intuition proved crucial for the Owls, who fought their way to the top of an offensive shootout. Each of the first five innings saw a run score until Owl senior Cole St.Clair and Aggie reliever Kyle Thebeau were able to take control of the game in the sixth.
A&M took off with an early 2-0 lead, but Brooks Raley's leadoff walk to Aaron Luna in the bottom of the second started a two run rally. With Luna on third and two outs, Diego Seastruck hit a single up the middle and came home later on the first of Dodson's hits.
"The free baserunners we gave them, they cashed in on them," A&M coach Rob Childress said. Five out of the six Owls walked by Aggie pitchers reached home.
Effective hitting did not come exclusively for the Owls, however. Starting pitcher Ryan Berry struggled through most of his four and two-thirds innings, never quite dominating the high-powered Aggie lineup.
Both starting pitchers were taken out of the game after surrendering five runs. Berry gave up his final two runs in the fifth before junior Bryan Price replaced him. The A&M offense got to Price early, though, tacking on another run and placing another runner in scoring position. After only nine pitches thrown by Price, St.Clair came in to get the Owls out of the tight bind.
With the game tied 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth, the Owls produced a flurry of runs with two outs in the inning. Dodson hit a two run double, scoring second-baseman Jimmy Comerota and outfielder Chad Mozingo, both of whom had reached on walks. He came home for the third run after a mishandled ball by Aggie first baseman Luke Anders.
The big fifth inning was all Rice needed with St.Clair on the mound. The Aggies tacked on a final run in the ninth inning, but never really threatened the lead.
"Cole is just Cole," said Owls coach Wayne Graham. The senior left-hander was the first Owl chosen in the first-year player major league baseball draft over the weekend.
"You score seven runs in game one against Rice, thinking you would like your chances," Childress said.
But this game proved an exception to the rule. In many ways, the whole game was an exception to a rule. Berry had trouble getting anyone out, Dodson got his first RBI since April, and Texas A&M finished with a loss even though they led in the hit column.
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