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Rice Baseball falters late, drops series to MTSU

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Rice Baseball and MTSU went down to the final inning with the fate of the series in the balance before an MTSU walk-off spoiled the Owls’ weekend.

FRIDAY | MTSU 6 – Rice 0

It didn’t matter which portion of the weather-split game it was for Rice baseball, the bats just weren’t syncing up. Rice was held scoreless in their series opener against Middle Tennessee, which was paused in the sixth inning with Rice trailing 3-0 before being restarted on Saturday afternoon.

Prior to the delay, Tyler Hamilton and Cristian Cienfuegos kept the Blue Raiders to one unearned run through four innings.  Blake Brogdon was tagged for two runs in the fifth, but the Owls were very much still in the game until MTSU tagged Ryland Urbanczyk with three runs in the eighth inning on Saturday to put the game away.

SATURDAY | Rice 9 – MTSU 2

Rice baseball and MTSU traded single runs in the early innings then did so again in the top of the sixth and bottom of the seventh. The game was neck-and-neck, even when Paul Smith singled in Jack Riedel in the top of the eighth to put the Owls in front. Leading 3-2 entering the ninth, the Rice bats exploded.

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

Three consecutive RBI hits put Rice up 7-2 and prompted an MTSU pitching change. The new reliever didn’t fair much better, getting charged with two additional runs on sacrifice flies as the Owls smacked the Blue Raiders around, scoring six in the ninth to win 9-2.

SUNDAY | MTSU 5 – Rice 4 (11 innings)

MTSU took a 2-0 lead on a first-inning home run against JD McCracken in the series finale, forcing Rice to play from behind. The Owls chipped away with a run in the fourth on an RBI single from Trey Duffield and another in the eighth, this time via a Ben Royo home run. Finally tied again, that’s when the drama would begin.

Both teams traded solo runs in the next two half innings, forcing extra with the score deadlocked at 3-3. Royo came through again in the tenth with an RBI single, but MTSU leveled the score on a wild pitch charged Rice reliever Krishna Raj. After Rice went quietly in the top half of the next inning, Raj gave up the walk-off long ball on the very next pitch, handing the game and the series to MTSU.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball had their chances to win a series for the first time in a month and couldn’t close the deal. Here are a few takeaways from a wet, frustrating weekend in Murfreesboro.

1. RIP RISP

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“Everything’s on the table”: Rice Baseball reeling from sweep by Charlotte

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Rice Baseball gave Charlotte a battle on Friday night but offered little resistance for the rest of the weekend, getting swept at home in painful fashion.

FRIDAY | Charlotte 1 – Rice 0

Rice starter Parker Smith and Charlotte starter Wyatt Hudepohl blazed through their opposing lineups on Friday night, both pitching into the ninth inning and combined to allow just one run (charged to Smith). The time of game (2:17) was reflective of their utter dominance and very few base runners.

Through eight innings, the Owls and 49ers combined for five hits and two walks. Charlotte would eventually break through with a leadoff double in the ninth, eventually turning that into the winning run. Rice had the tying run thrown out at third base in the bottom of the frame, falling 1-0.

SATURDAY | Charlotte 4 – Rice 1

Rice struck first on Saturday, scoring one of their few runs of the weekend in the second inning when Jack Riedel doubled in Aaron Smigelski. The lead barely lasted 15 minutes in real time as Charlotte went ahead in the next half inning, capitalizing on an error by depositing a two-run blast over the left-center wall.

The Rice bullpen fought through some traffic and fared well through 4.2 innings of work, allowing just two hits and two runs. The arms kept Rice in the game, but the bats never got going. Rice would be held to four hits and did not score again for the remainder of the afternoon.

SUNDAY | Charlotte 16 – Rice 2

There was plenty of traffic on the bases in the early innings of getaway day, but no runs, at least through the fourth. That changed in a hurry in the fifth when Rice receiver Matthew Linskey was tagged with three straight doubles before giving way to Cristian Cienfuegos who allowed a walk and then a home run to put Rice in a 5-0 hole.

Following another Charlotte home run in the sixth, the Owls found some offense, tacking on two runs courtesy of a Guy Garibay RBI triple and an RBI single by Manny Garza. Charlotte quickly dampened any hopes for a rally, however, launching a three-run shot in the next frame to take a commanding 9-2 lead before dropping seven more runs on the Owls in the ninth.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Rice baseball wasted another brilliant start from Parker Smith on Friday night, which proved to be an omen of tough tidings ahead as the Owls were swept in a conference series for the first time this season. Here are a few takeaways from the weekend.

1. It’s the little things

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Bullpen roulette bites Rice Baseball against McNeese State

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Rice baseball got hits from eight of nine starters, but bullpen woes ultimately cost them a winnable game against McNeese State.

When Tom Vincent managed to record just four outs during the second-midweek game of the week, things had the potential to go south quickly for a Rice baseball squad with limited pitching depth against a McNeese State team that entered the game 21-11 on the season. Jack Ben-Shoshan limited the damage to just three runs and Blake Brogdon followed with a fantastic 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.

No longer spiraling, it seemed like the pitching staff was going to give this team a chance. Aaron Smigelski got Rice on the board with an RBI double in the third. Guy Garibay and Connor Walsh delivered back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth, driving in three to put Rice ahead 4-3. The Owls had battled back.

Last Time Out: Rice Baseball rallies past Lamar

Matthew Linskey surrendered the lead in the top of the sixth, but Ben Royo took it right back in the bottom of the frame. Tyler Hamilton got Rice to the ninth up by two, but Garret Zaskoda scuttled the save, allowing three runs in the ninth. The Owls would get the tying run to third base but Walsh’s last-ditch liner fell a few shy of the fence, a loud fly out to end a disappointing game.

What it means | Bullpen Roulette

The lack of depth on the pitching side has been an issue for Rice baseball all year and it reared its ugly head again on Wednesday. Of the seven pitchers Rice called upon in the game, Vincent, Linskey and Zaskoda each had bad outings. Mark Perkins, the seventh arm, was only called upon after Zaskoda blew a two-run lead in the ninth.

It wouldn’t be fair to expect every reliever to bring his A-game on every night, particularly not in a midweek game when teams are typically reaching further down their staff. Still, having a fifty-fifty chance of a disastrous inning won’t work either.

The Owls might have to seriously consider changing their strategy on the mound. If Brogdon is dealing through 2.2 innings, leave him in. If Tyler Hamilton has allowed one hit in two innings, leave him in. The alternative is spinning the wheel again and the odds aren’t looking very good right now.

ON DECK | vs Charlotte (Fri-Sun)

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Young arms, timely bats lift Rice baseball past Lamar

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Rice baseball road a pair of young arms and an explosive seventh inning rally from the bats to a midweek win against Lamar on Tuesday.

Making his first career start, Garrett Stratton tossed a scoreless first inning before falling behind in the second on a sacrifice fly. The deficit wouldn’t last for long, though, with Paul Smith tying the game in the bottom half of the inning and Connor Walsh putting Rice in front in the third.

Leading 2-1, head coach Jose Cruz Jr. turned to Ryland Urbanczyk who delivered a masterful four-inning, two-hit performance to keep Lamar off the scoreboard. His replacement, Cristian Cienfuegos, was not as fortunate, allowing the visitors to tie the game in the top of the event before Krishna Raj came in to stem the bleeding.

Last Time Out: Rice Baseball drops water-logged series to Louisiana Tech

Locked at three runs apiece, Rice loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning. Guy Garibay walked to put Rice in front. Two batters later, Walsh singled in two more. It was Jack Riedel who delivered the extra cherry on top, taking home on a double steal to put Rice in front 7-3, the game’s final score.

What it means | The future on the mound?

Garrett Stratton and Ryalnd Urbanczyk were two of the most heralded freshman additions to the pitching staff this offseason. Injuries cost Stratton time early in the season and Urbanczyk was limited to just five appearances coming into Tuesday night. That tandem produced one of the better piggyback midweek performances the Owls have had in a game this season.

The pitching staff has been an adventure at times behind Parker Smith. Stratton and Urbanczyk might not be able to become firemen out of the pen quite yet this season, but the future is bright. Tuesday was just a glimpse.

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Rice Baseball drops water-logged series to Louisiana Tech

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Rice Baseball lost a compressed weekend series to Louisiana Tech, salvaging a split of a seven-inning doubleheader to avoid a sweep at home.

FRIDAY | LA Tech 6 – Rice 4

Rice starter Parker Smith looked lost in the early portions of the series opener on Friday night. His command was loose and he was hit early and often, facing seven hitters and allowing two runs in the first inning before allowing the first two batters in the second to reach base. Head coach Jose Cruz Jr. stuck with his ace. “All of a sudden, the next thing you know, he throws six innings, right?” Cruz chuckled.

Smith was lifted after 5.2 innings when an error extended an inning he should have escaped from, and eventually did thanks to a quick out from reliever Cristian Cienfuegos. The bats for those two runs back in the second, tying the game on an RBI triple from Ben Royo and a subsequent single by Manny Garza. The score would level again at 4-4 with reliever Matthew Linskey surrendering two solo home runs later before Louisiana Tech tagged Krishna Raj with two runs in the ninth to win it.

SATURDAY AM | LA Tech 5 – Rice 4 (7 inn.)

Brody Drost for Louisiana Tech and Guy Garibay for Rice exchanged solo home runs in the second in a quick but otherwise quiet offensive game through the early innings. At least, that was the case until Rice starter JD McCracken found himself in a jam in the fifth inning. After loading the bases on a single, walk and hit batsman, he gave up the lead on a single to right field and was lifted for Justin Long.

Long was unable to limit the damage, though, and it might have been the difference in the game. Louisiana Tech cleared the bases with a double then tacked on a sac fly. Leading 5-1, Rice got three runs in the seventh but stranded the tying run on first base.

SATURDAY PM | Rice 4 – LA Tech 0 (7 inn.)

Jacob Devenney, rewarded for his pinch-hit RBI single in the early game, drew the start in the finale and came around to score the go-ahead run in the first inning on a double from Aaron Smigelski. Neither team would score in the second, third or fourth innings as Rice starter Tom Vincent delivered one his best outings of the season (3 innings, 0 hits, 0 runs) and the bullpen — specifically Cristian Cienfuegos, Tyler Hamilton, Krishna Raj and Jack Ben-Shoshan — kept Louisiana Tech off the board completely.

Rice picked up insurance in the sixth inning, scoring three runs on a couple of infield singles and walks. Leading 4-0, Ben-Shoshan was able to hang on a close the door, albeit with some drama in the final moments.

THREE FOR THE ROAD

Despite outscoring its opponent this time around, Rice baseball dropped its third consecutive Conference USA series, all by 2-1 margins. Louisiana Tech had the upper hand this weekend. Here are a few takeaways from the series.

1. Unclutch

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ON DECK | vs Lamar (Tues), vs McNeese State (Wed), vs Charlotte (Fri-Sun)

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