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Wednesday - March 22, 2006

Game 26: Rice at Texas

Unbelievable. Nine in a row. Wow. Texas beat Rice again tonight. That makes nine in a row. Amazing. The line:

																			R	H	E
Rice			0	0	0			0	0	2			0	0	0		-		2	3	1
Texas			0	0	1			0	1	0			1	0	x		-		3	4	1

Riley Boening started and pitched a very good 5 innings. Through the first 5, he faced 18, struck out 2, walked 2, and kept the Owls hitless. Sadly, he started off the 6th with a walk. He then gave up a single to shallow cf followed by a bunt single to load the bases. He then got a double play (one run scored). Then, a single to 3b (game-tying run scored). The next batter worked the count full and, at that very late point, Riley was finally replaced (yes, with the count full to a batter) by Kenn Kasparek. Kenn completed the walk (charged to Riley) and then got the next batter to pop out to 2b. Inning over. As in Saturday's game, the coaches left the starter in one inning too long. Kenn got the win; he pitched the 7th (3 fly outs around one hit batter). Austin Wood threw a 1-2-3 8th (strikeout looking, strikeout swinging, and line out to 2b). Adrian Alaniz got his first save of the year as he threw a 1-2-3 9th (pop out to ss, strikeout looking, and ground out to ss). Defensively, the pitchers had a bit of help in the outfield. In the 3rd, Bradley Suttle made great grab to keep a ball from making it's way into cf and then made a perfect throw to 1b to get the first out. To end the same inning, Nick Peoples made an amazing catch of a line drive that nearly took his head off. Wow. In the 4th, Drew Stubbs made a long run toward the lf gap to rob Jordan Dodson of at least a single (if not a double); he very likely kept a run from scoring. And, on that single to 3b in the 6th, Nick Peoples did an amazing job just getting to the ball and keeping it from going into the lf corner. He then threw across the diamond and just missed getting the batter out. No, it wasn't an out...but it was still a great play.

And, how did Texas score? In the 3rd, Bradley Suttle led things off with a double to the rf corner. He moved to 3b on a great sac bunt by Preston Clark and scored on a squeeze bunt by Chais Fuller. In the 5th, Chance Wheeless singled to cf. Kyle Russell popped out to 1b on a bunt attempt. On the first pitch to Bradley Suttle, Chance stole 2b. He moved to 3b after tagging up when Bradley hit a fly ball to cf. He scored (unearned) as Preston Clark reached on an error by 3b. In the 7th, Drew Stubbs worked the count full and then walked. Carson Kainer (still working with a very very hot bat) doubled to the lf/cf gap. Drew took off and ran past Tommy Harmon (who seemed to have the stop sign on) and was beat by the throw from the outfield. But, the catcher could not hold onto the ball and he was safe. Carson moved to 3b on the throw but was stranded there.

So, Texas got the lead runner on 3 times. And, 3 times, he scored. Good show.

By the by...it was cold at Disch-Falk this evening. But we had a big crowd so it didn't feel as bad as it could've. The weird thing about it was that the temperature was 53 (keep in mind, it always feels about 10 degrees colder in the stands with the wind whipping around all that concrete and aluminum) at the start of the game and it did not drop at all throughout the 2 & 1/2 hours it took to play the game. Very odd. Anyway...

Good game. Go, Horns! Keep on beatin' the Owls! Hook 'em!

Posted by Joanna at 10:34 PM