Feb. 22, 2009

Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly rallied from a 6-2 deficit with five runs over the final three innings to claim a 7-6 win over visiting Rice in the second game of a split double-header Saturday evening at Baggett Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif. With a 10-3 win in the first game of a split double-header on Saturday, the Mustangs won the weekend series over the Owls two games to one.

The deciding play was a one-out double to right-center by J.J. Thompson that scored Bobby Crocker from second base. The Owls fell to 1-2 to start the season despite batting a composite .318 and collecting 35 hits over the three-games.

Two Rice freshman opened the scoring in the top of the second. Third baseman Anthony Rendon led off with a double to the wall in left field. Freshman outfielder Jeremy Rathjen slapped a base hit through the left side to score Rendon for a 1-0 lead.

After the success of the freshmen, Owl sophomores Michael Fuda and Rick Hague combined for a run in the third. Fuda drew a leadoff walk and Brock Holt was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Hague laced a single through the left side to drive in the second run of the contest.

Cal Poly answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame. Bobby Crocker reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Kyle Smith singled him home and a walk and hit batsman loaded the stations. Smith scored on wild pitch the game was even at 2-2 after three.

The Owls struck for four big runs in the top of the fifth. Each of the first four batters in the inning reached base and all of them came around to score. Holt hustled for a double to shallow left-center and Jimmy Comerota reached on a Mustang error. Hague singled sharply to left field to load the bases. Rendon followed with a base hit that scored two. With Hague on second and Rendon on first, both runners were able to move into scoring position on a passed ball. Chad Mozingo took advantage of the RBI-opportunity with a base hit to right that plated two and stretched the margin to 6-2.

The Mustangs would not go away quietly with five late runs. In the seventh Kyle Smith singled with one away, advanced to second on a balk and moved to third on base hit by Ryan Lee. Smith scored on a wild pitch for one run and were threatening for more after successive walks loaded the bases.

In the eighth Jensen drew a leadoff walk. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored after consecutive singles by Thompson and Smith. A walk loaded the bases and two hit batters later tied the game, 6-6. Rice put the first two batters on base in the eighth and had the lead runner aboard in the ninth but could not push across another run.

The Owls return from the season-opening west coast road trip to host crosstown rival Houston on Wednesday (Feb. 25) at Reckling Park. First pitch in game one of the annual season-long five-game series with the Cougars for the Silver Glove Trophy is set for 4 pm at Reckling Park.