Owls continue to roll fighting off Kansas State
After a one-hour turnaround, No. 1 Rice (42-16) was back on the field Sunday evening, taking on No. 2 Kansas State (43-17-1). The Wildcats were fresh from last night's victory, but it wasn't enough to overcome the determined Rice team which pulled out an 8-0 victory.Unlike the first game, scoring didn't start until the fourth, though the excitement began to build early on with a miraculous catch junior center fielder Steven Sultzbaugh in the second inning. Rice struck first with sophomore right fielder Chad Mozingo's single to score junior catcher Diego Seastrunk. Then in the fifth, sophomore shortstop Rick Hague added an RBI double. In the same inning, Kansas State chose to intentionally walk Seastrunk in order to face freshman third baseman Anthony Rendon, the first in history to be named Conference USA Freshman of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season.
"I was just thinking I need to hit something hard and make them make the play," Rendon said.
The Wildcats' strategy didn't fare too well for them, as Rendon lined a long single to right, scoring two. Mozingo's fielder's choice earned him his second RBI of the game and a 5-0 lead for Rice.
No more scoring action until the eighth, when senior Jess Buenger entered as a pinch hitter and slammed a three-run home run to right field. After he was mobbed at the plate and received a standing ovation from the crowd, the Owls were up 8-0 and it held for the final score.
Buenger was a starter for the team two years ago and played extensively in the 2007 College World Series, but he has been plagued with injuries. The team was thrilled to see him succeed and apparently there were a few tears in the dugout.
"It was quite a moment," Head Coach Wayne Graham said.
That goose egg for the Wildcats was due to freshman starter Taylor Wall (7-5). Graham and his coaching staff gambled when they held the team's leader in innings pitched until the potential second game this evening. It paid off, however, with Wall's complete game three-hitter.
"Our lefty kind of hypnotized them," Graham said.
That was a bit of an understatement: Wall gave up no runs, struck out four and faced only three batters above the minimum on 116 pitches.
"My location was exceptional today, and my defense played outstanding," Wall said. "[I] had to mix up the pitches to keep them off balance and throw strikes."
Wall's strategy worked, and his pitch selection thoroughly bewildered the Wildcats.
"Taylor Wall is pretty much the name of the game," Head Coach Brad Hill said. "He dominated us tonight [and] did a great job of confusing us."
Kansas State and Rice meet again tomorrow at 6 p.m. for the chance to advance to the Super Regional.
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