May 11, 2005
Box Score
HOUSTON, Texas - No. 15 Rice scored five runs in the first four innings and held No. 10 Baylor to three hits on the night as the Owls blanked the Bears 7-0 Wednesday at Reckling Park. With the loss, Baylor drops to 31-18 on the season; Rice improves to 33-15.
Rice got a run on one hit in the bottom of the first inning. Tyler Henley was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning; he moved to second on a Greg Buchanan sacrifice bunt and then scored on an Adam Rodgers two-out double. The Owls added another run in the third when Josh Rodriguez led off with a triple and later scored on a Joe Savery fielder's choice.
The Owls stretched their lead again in the fourth, scoring three runs on four hits and a hit batter, all with two outs. Henley got things started with a double down the line in right. After Buchanan was hit by a pitch, Rodriguez, Rodgers and Savery delivered successive RBI singles. Adam Hale capped the scoring in the seventh with a two-run homer to right-center.
Baylor did not get its first hit until a Michael Griffin one-out single in the top of the sixth. Griffin fouled off six consecutive pitches before lining an Eddie Degerman offering into center. The Bears only other hits on the night were a Zach Dillon infield single to lead off the seventh and a Josh Ford leadoff single through the right side in the ninth.
Cory VanAllen (6-4) started and took the loss for the Bears. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3.0 innings. The Bears used six pitchers on the night.
Rice starter Bobby Bell earned the victory in a predetermined 3.0-inning start. Bell (3-0) was perfect with four strikeouts.
Baylor returns to action this weekend, facing Texas A&M in the annual split series. The Bears and the Aggies meet Friday at 6 p.m. CDT at Baylor Ballpark. The series then shifts to Olsen Field in College Station for Saturday's 7 p.m. contest and Sunday's 2 p.m. series finale. Friday's game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 125-81-1. Rice holds a 47-44-1 advantage in games played on the Rice campus. The Bears are 12-15 against Rice under head coach Steve Smith. ... Reid Brees (nine games) and Kyle Reynolds (seven games) both saw season-long hitting streaks end. ... Ryan LaMotta made his 82nd career appearance, tying Frank Foltyn (1989-92) for fourth all-time at Baylor. ... Abe Woody made his 79th career appearance, tying Kris Lambert (1994-97) and Justin Taylor (1999-02) for seventh all-time at Baylor.
