April 12, 2009

Box Score

GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Junior starter Mike Ojala returned to the mound in sensational form and senior reliever Jordan Rogers held off a fierce rally to pace the Rice baseball team to a 5-4 road victory over East Carolina in the finale of a three-game Conference USA baseball series Sunday afternoon on the road in Greenville, NC.

Ojala made his first start since March 20 (an Owl win at Southern Miss) and was in command. He worked 5.0 innings, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out 10. It was the third time this season for him to reach double-digit Ks as he remained undefeated (2-0). The lone run he surrendered was solo a home run that opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning. East Carolina first baseman Brandon Henderson's line-drive to left slipped over the wall for his fifth homer of the year.

The Owls strung some hits together to take the lead in the fourth. Diego Seastrunk reached on a fielder's choice and an infield single by Jimmy Comerota put runners on first and second. Freshman Craig Manuel stroked a RBI single to right field and Comerota dug for third to put men on the corners. Steven Sultzbaugh pushed a bunt for the third-straight hit of the inning and a 2-1 lead. Manuel took third base after a fielder's choice by Chad Mozingo. He scored on Brock Holt's third hit of the game to make it 3-1.

Doubles led to Rice runs in the sixth and seventh. Jeremy Rathjen laced a two-out, two-bagger to left field in the sixth and scored on a sharply-hit ball up the middle by Rick Hague. In the seventh Comerota chopped a ball over the third-baseman's head and hustled to second. He scored on a base hit to right by Manuel to stretch the margin to 5-1.

The insurance runs proved to be critical. ECU rallied for three runs in the eighth. Kyle Roller was hit by a pitch and Henderson singled through the left side. Devin Harris knocked a three-run homer to left field. His ninth longball of the season, and third of the series, made it a one-run game 5-4.

Rogers worked out of the jam with a strikeout, ground out and fly out, but the Pirates came right back on the offensive in the bottom of the ninth. With two away, ECU put runners on first and second and Henderson back up at the plate. He had already had three hits on the day, including the solo home run, and launched a pitch to deep right-center field. Sultzbaugh, however, ran the ball down and caught it on a sprint for the final out.

Rogers earned his team-lead sixth save of the season with a career-long four innings of work. He allowed three runs and struck out two.

Rice improved to 25-8 on the season and is tied for first with ECU in the C-USA standings with identical 9-3 league records. The Owls won the weekend series over the Pirates two games to one. ECU is now 26-9 overall.

The Owls have wrapped-up the four-game road swing and return home to Reckling Park for a key five-game homestand beginning on Tuesday, April. 14. Rice hosts longtime rival Texas A&M to start the homestand. First pitch with the Aggies is set for 6:30 pm. The game will be broadcast live around he world on the Internet at RiceOwls.com. The Blue & Gray then hosts Texas-San Antonio on Wednesday night (Apr. 15), followed by a three-game C-USA weekend series against Marshall (Apr. 17-19).