Sunday's Sports Update : Baseball topples Southern Miss to clinch top spot in C-USA tournament
After inclement weather delayed the first two games of this conference series, today's game started as scheduled beneath sunny skies. Rice split yesterday afternoon's doubleheader with the University of Southern Mississippi, and the Owls captured the rubber game today 21-14 to win the series as well as capture the top seed in the upcoming Conference USA tournament.Senior Jared Rogers (6-1) started for Rice (32-19, 15-6 C-USA) while freshman Jay Myrick (3-0) got the ball for the Eagles (30-19, 12-9 C-USA) in his third career start. Neither pitcher lasted long - both forfeited six runs and were gone by the third inning.
Southern Miss got the ball rolling early and held a 12-2 lead after its half of the third. Rice picked up its two runs on a homer by senior catcher Diego Seastrunk, his first of four hits on the day.
Then senior center fielder Steven Sultzbaugh singled to lead off the third and started an offensive attack that would culminate with 19 unanswered runs for the Owls. They scored seven in the third -highlighted by a Seastrunk double and a three-run shot by freshman second baseman Michael Rattreee - and went on to score five in the fourth to take the lead.
A single by senior first baseman Jimmy Comerota scored Seastrunk for the 12th run, and then a two-run single by Sultzbaugh brought the run total up to 14.
After an early revolving door of ineffective pitching - Rogers, freshman J.T. Chargois (2-1) and freshman Tyler Duffey (2-2) - junior Boogie Anagnostou (3-3) righted the ship in the third. He was effective over 5.2 innings to get the win and surrendered only two runs, both of which came in the ninth inning. Junior Abe Gonzales (4-3) relieved him to get the last two outs in the ninth.
The Rice offense, which produced double-digit runs in all three games of this series, was powered today by the infield. Comerota, junior shortstop Rick Hague, sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon (who homered twice), Ratterree and Seastrunk combined for 16 RBI in today's 3 hour and 57 minute contest, the longest game of Rice's season. Six players had at least two RBI, while seven players recorded multi-hit games.
"We've had guys that struggled for a while, and they're not struggling anymore," Head Coach Wayne Graham said. "They're doing everything right; I've always felt we could hit the ball."
The Owls play Houston at Cougar Field on Tuesday then return home for their last regular season series, a conference bout against University of Alabama-Birmingham that begins Thursday night at 6:30 p.m.
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