Ratterree comes through in ninth to save series

After the University of Southern Mississippi (37-13, 15-6 C-USA) completed a sweep of their own against UAB, Rice found themselves still two games back of the conference lead as they headed to Lafayette, La. to take on the University of Louisiana with a chance for an Rating Percentage Index (RPI) boosting win on May 10. After losing an April 5 home game to the Ragin' Cajuns in which Rice stranded a school record 18 batters, the Owls bats were again frustrated for the game's first six innings as they found themselves down 1-0 in front of a capacity crowd at Tigue Moore Field. But Rice would finally break their scoreless stretch against Louisiana in the top of the seventh, when redshirt sophomore right fielder Ryan Lewis doubled on a line drive off the Louisiana first baseman to start the inning. Lewis would advance to third on a passed ball and came around to score on a wild pitch to tie the game 1-1 heading to the final innings.  

After a scoreless bottom of the seventh, sophomore first baseman and Louisiana native J.T. Chargois took a two-strike fastball on the inside corner and drove it over the fence in right field for a solo home run, his first of the season. The timely round tripper put Rice up 2-1, giving them their first lead of the season against UL and putting them six outs away from the win. Enter senior Tony Cingrani, the ace of the bullpen for Graham whose mid-90s fastball has made him one of the very best bullpen pitchers in the NCAA. After junior Daniel Gonzales- Luna threw out a runner trying to extend a single at second base to lead off the 8th, Cingrani would retire the final five batters in order to earn his eighth save of the season and clinch the 2-1 midweek victory.

 

Last weekend the Owls welcomed the University of Memphis (27-23, 10-11 C-USA) to Reckling Park, a team led by the nation's leading hitter, second baseman Chad Zurcher. After going down 1-0 early in the series opener, the Owls scored four runs in the bottom of the third with just one hit in the inning, a two-run double off the streaking bat of freshman Shane Hoelscher. Rice would add four more in the fourth on three hits, most notably a towering home run from junior Anthony Rendon, to go up 8-1 in the game. Hoelscher would finish the night with three RBI and Ratterree extended his hitting streak to 20 games as Rice went on to a 10-6 win, with freshman Austin Kubitza improving to 5-3 by working into the seventh inning. Conference-leading Southern Miss would rally on Friday against Houston for three runs in the ninth inning to win their series opener, keeping Rice two games back for the time being.

The Owls' six-game winning streak would come to an end on Saturday, however, when Memphis scored two runs in the top of the 10th to steal a 5-3 win and force a Sunday rubber match. Rice put together just six hits on the afternoon as Ratterree's hit streak came to an end. The team did receive good news on Saturday night though, when the Cougars defeated Southern Miss to keep the conference deficit for Rice at just two games.

Simms took the mound on Sunday afternoon for Rice and kept Memphis to just one run through the first four innings, before Rice rallied in the bottom of the fourth for four runs on RBI hits from junior Craig Manuel, redshirt junior Michael Fuda, and Lewis. But after two runs in the fifth, Memphis would take the lead in the sixth by scoring three runs on two hits and two walks. Down 6-4 heading to the bottom of the ninth, Rice would need to rally to take the series and maintain hope of winning the conference regular season title with just one weekend of play left. With two outs in the inning, freshman Keenan Cook walked after a single from Michael Fuda to put the tying run on base. Chargois stepped up to bat and roped a single up the middle to score Fuda, as Cook advanced to third on the throw. After the Tigers intentionally walked Rendon to load the bases with two outs, Ratterree came up to the plate with a chance to tie or win the game for the Owls. Maintaining his status as one of the hottest hitters in the country, Ratterree lined a single to left field on a 3-1 count, scoring Cook and Chargois and giving Rice the win in walk-off fashion. Parlayed with a 6-1 Southern Miss loss on Sunday, the three-run ninth inning puts Rice just one game back of the C-USA lead with one weekend to go.

Graham's boys head to Hattiesburg this weekend to take on Southern Miss in a winner-takes-all, three game set to determine the C-USA regular season champion. If the Owls win the series, they will clinch their 16th consecutive share of the C-USA title and increase their chances of hosting a regional in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The regional sites are awarded generally to the top 16 teams in the nation, and Rice enters the week with an RPI of 14 in the country. After the series with Southern Miss, the Owls will travel to Pearl, Miss. for the conference tournament, which begins on Wednesday, May 25. Be sure to follow the Owls on RiceOwls.com this weekend, and for their postseason play as they make a run at Omaha.