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Rice rolling on to Rosenblatt
From Conference USA
Joe Savery had three hits and three RBI's to lead Rice to a comfortable 5-2
win over Texas A&M in the Houston Super Regional on Saturday night in front
of 5,234 fans, the largest crowd in Reckling Park history.
With the victory, the Owls advanced to the College World Series at
Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE, for the second consecutive season and the
sixth time since 1997. It marks the third consecutive season that Conference
USA has sent a team to Omaha.
Rice opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning. Brian
Friday led off the game with a double down the left field line. Following a
Jared Gayheart strikeout and a Tyler Henley walk, Savery singled up the
middle to drive in Friday, advancing Henley to third.
Savery put the Owls up 2-0 with an opposite field home run to left field to
lead off the third inning.
In the fourth, the Owls added another run. Danny Lehmann was hit by a pitch
to open the inning, then Friday and Gayheart both reached on well-executed
sacrifice bunts to load the bases, chasing Texas A&M starter Kyle Thebeau.
Henley grounded into a double play, but Lehmann scored, increasing the lead
to 3-0.
The Aggies got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning. Josh Stinson
hit a two-out double down the right field line and scored when Darby Brown
hit a long single that landed on the warning track in right field.
In the top of the seventh, Henley ripped a one-out triple down the right
field line. He scored to make it 4-1 on Savery's third hit of the day, a
single to right field.
The Owls added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Jess
Buenger reached base on an error by Aggie shortstop Brandon Hicks. He
advanced to second on a Diego Seastrunk bunt and moved to third on a wild
pitch. After Dodson walked, Lehmann sacrificed a bunt down the first base
line, scoring Buenger to make it 5-1.
Aggie rightfielder Blake Stouffer cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the
eighth inning with his 12th home run of the season, a 340-foot shot down the
left field line.
Matt Langwell improved to 8-1 with the victory for Rice. He threw 6.2
innings, allowing one run on four hits, while striking out seven. Cole St.
Clair came in to pitch the final 2.2 frames, surrendering a run on two hits
in picking up his eighth save of the season.
The Owls will face the winner of today's Oklahoma State-Louisville game on
Friday in Omaha. The game time will not be determined until all Super
Regionals have been completed.
View All Super Regional Scores & Schedules
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06/10/2007 01:52:30 AM |
