Thursday's Sports Update : Baseball blanks Houston 6-0
Coming off a mediocre 3-5 road trip, the Rice baseball team found its way home to Reckling Park tonight and toppled crosstown rival Houston 6-0. This game, the first in the season series for the coveted Silver Glove Trophy, was the third win in a row for the Owls (15-12, 2-2 Conference USA), who this week dropped out of Baseball America's Top 25 rankings for the first time this season.Sophomore starter Taylor Wall (1-4) got the ball tonight looking for his first win of the season, and he delivered in pristine fashion. The southpaw tossed a complete game-the first of any pitcher for the Owls this season-and surrendered only one hit and two walks with seven strikeouts. The lone Cougar hit came in the first inning.
Sophomore center fielder Jeremy Rathjen led the team with three hits and had a pivotal role in Rice's first two runs, scoring on an error in the second and driving home sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon in the third.
The Owls picked up two more in the fourth, thanks to a single by freshman second baseman Michael Ratterree and a sacrifice fly by Rendon, while the Cougars (12-12, 2-2 C-USA) merely struggled to find baserunners against Wall.
Ratterree notched another RBI single in the sixth, and Rice picked up its last run in the seventh. After a walk by sophomore catcher Craig Manuel, sophomore Daniel Gonzales-Luna entered as a pinch runner, stole second base and scored on a single by junior Abe Gonzales.
Despite only one hit for extra bases-by junior right fielder Chad Mozingo to lead off the game-and 10 hits overall with three errors, the Owls take this one from the Cougars and increase the season series lead to 2-0. This conference series with Houston continues tomorrow night at 6:30 p.m.
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