Friday's Sports Update: Baseball defeats UAB in second game of conference series
A pair of homers provided all the runs no. 21 Rice needed behind a stellar pitching performance, and the Owls topped the University of Alabama-Birmingham 9-2 in the second game of this conference series.UAB (27-25, 10-13 Conference USA) opened the scoring with Luke Stewart's first inning two-run shot, but that would be it for the Blazers. Senior right hander Mike Ojala (4-2) was dialed in for his final regular season start and tossed 7 and two-thirds innings, forfeiting only two hits with a new career high of 12 strikeouts.
The Owls (35-19, 17-6 C-USA) were not down for long and put up a crooked number in their half of the first inning. Junior right fielder Chad Mozingo scored on an error before senior catcher Diego Seastrunk contributed three runs of his own with a shot to left.
Senior first baseman Jimmy Comerota drove in a run with a single in the third, and in the fourth sophomore center fielder Jeremy Rathjen copied Seastrunk with another three-run homer to the hill in left. Sophomore third baseman Anthony Rendon added an RBI single in the eighth to bring the score to 9-2.
Rice will be going for a series sweep in its last regular season game tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m. Senior Day festivities begin at 12:45 p.m.
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