Tuesday's Sports Update: Bobcats jump over baseball team in rare Reckling win

By Casey Michel     4/16/09 7:00pm

The baseball team continued its recent up-and-down stretch with a 4-1 home loss to Texas State on Tuesday. Bobcats (34-12) starter Garret Carruth (4-2) tossed seven strong innings, limiting the third-ranked Owls to just one run on seven hits. Rice (31-12) starter Andrew Benak (1-1) struggled out of the gate, and after a pair of runs on three hits the freshman was replaced by Mark Haynes to close out the first inning.The loss is Rice's second in the last four games and third in the last seven, a foreboding stretch for a team that usually finds itself unbeatable in the late stretch of the season.

In an early hole, Rice had its best chance to bust out of its funk in the first inning. After center fielder Chad Mozingo walked, shortstop Rick Hague stroked a double in to the rightfield gap. Third baseman Anthony Rendon, who leads the Owls with 15 home runs on the year, was then plunked in the back, loading the bases for designated hitter Diego Seastrunk. But on the first pitch, Seastrunk popped the ball to left fielder Spenser Dennis. Freshman Michael Fuda then grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.

Continuing his struggles at the plate, Seastrunk would go on to finish the day 0-4, dropping his batting average to .277, the second-lowest among the starters.

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The Owls finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Fuda tagged a double into left, and after catcher Craig Manuel flew out, right fielder Ryan Lewis bounced a single up the middle to score Fuda. But first baseman Jimmy Comerota flew out and Texas State shortstop Jason Martinson robbed Brock Holt to close out the inning.

The Bobcats tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the next frame. With two outs, Texas State used three singles and a pair of walks to bump the score to 4-1.

Carruth and reliever Tyler Brundridge managed to silence the rest of the Rice bats for the remainder of the game, and the Bobcats escaped Reckling with their third win in a row.

The Owls next return to action on Friday, hosting the University of Central Florida at 6:30 p.m.

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