The source for Rice sports news

  • Football
    • Recruiting
    • Offer Tracker
    • Roster
    • Schedule
    • NFL Owls
  • Premium
    • Patreon
    • Season Preview
    • Join / FAQ
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Store
    • News
    • Basketball
    • Baseball
    • About
    • Contact
  • Login

Fast starts not enough as Rice Baseball is swept by UTSA

May 7, 2023 By Matthew Bartlett

Rice Baseball scored first in all three games against UTSA but left San Antonio reeling, suffering another sweep in painful fashion.

FRIDAY | UTSA 9 – Rice 7

Rice got the jump on UTSA ace Luke Malone in the early goings of the opener, scoring four runs in the first two frames and following that up with a three-spot in the fifth. The UTSA bats were ready to push back, however, cutting into a 4-0 Rice lead with two-run innings in the second and third, respectively, to tie the game back at 4-4.

The aforementioned three-run fifth — all runs courtesy of a Ben Royo home run — would give the Owls a lead, but again, the Roadrunners rallied back. UTSA would score four in the seventh and one more in the eighth, roughing up Justin Long and Cristian Cienfuegos, the latter of which took the loss, his first of the season.

SATURDAY | UTSA 10 – Rice 8

As they did on Friday night, Rice got to work early on Saturday afternoon. A pair of solo home runs in the top of the first inning staked the Owls to a 2-0 lead, which quickly grew to 5-0 in the second before a weather delay paused the game in the middle of Ben Royo’s second at-bat. Royo would fly out when play resumed, signaling a shift in momentum away from the Owls.

MORE: Roost Pod – Rice Football Spring Ball Recap and Basketball Recruiting

With Rice leading 6-1, UTSA went on the offensive. The Roadrunners ambushed JD McCracken for four runs in the fourth, then jumped all over Tyler Hamilton for three runs in the sixth to take the lead for good. Once again, Rice was unable to hold an early lead and fell, ceding the series to UTSA.

SUNDAY | UTSA 11 – Rice 6

A weekend of crooked numbers rounded into full form on Sunday. Ben Royo got things going with a solo home run in the second, answered quickly by a single run to tie the game by UTSA in the bottom of the inning. Then the fireworks really got going.

UTSA hung a four-spot in the third. Rice answered with five runs in the fourth with Guy Garibay providing an emphatic, go-ahead three-run blast. The lead was short-lived, though. UTSA answered with a six-run sixth, rocking Matthew Linskey with a grand slam to take a commanding 11-6 advantage. That would be the final score.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Another weekend down, but the same familiar result. Rice baseball is headed back to Houston with a bad taste in its mouth. Here are three takeaways from a tough weekend on the road.

Subscriber content.<br /> Please login to see the full post or visit our Patreon page.

1. Building blocks

Sorry! This part of content is hidden behind this box because it requires a higher contribution level ($10) at Patreon. Why not take this chance to increase your contribution?

ON DECK | vs UIW (Tues), vs Houston (Wed), at WKU (Fri-Sun)

Subscribe on Patreon for exclusive Rice football recruiting updates, practice notes and more.

Recent Posts
  • AAC Baseball sends UTSA, ECU to NCAA Tournament
  • Rice Athletics Roundup: May Subscriber Q&A
  • “So Many Things to Address”: Rice Baseball and David Pierce Embark on Crucial Offseason
  • Rice Baseball season ends with AAC Tournament loss to FAU

Filed Under: Archive, Baseball, Premium Tagged With: Aaron Smigelski, Ben Royo, Cristian Cienfuegos, game recap, Garrett Stratton, Guy Garibay, JD McCracken, Justin Long, Matthew Linskey, Rice baseball, Ryland Urbanczyk, Tyler Hamilton

  1. Item 1
  2. Item 2
  3. Item 3
  4. Item 4
  5. Item 5
  • Jack Ben-Shoshan, Rice Baseball
  • Rice Football
  • Rice Baseball, David Pierce
  • Rice Football
  • “He’s a Bulldog”: Parker Smith’s Journey to Rice Baseball Ace
Become a patron at Patreon!
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter