Feb. 16, 2007

Box Score

HOUSTON -- The 20th-ranked Long Beach State baseball team claimed a 4-3 win in 11 innings over the fourth-ranked Rice Friday evening at Reckling Park.

The Owls were held to just six hits and surrendered a 3-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning to send the game to the extra frames.

Long Beach State looked to be mounting an offensive threat in the top of the fourth with consecutive singles and none away. The Owls however worked out of the jam with a triple play. Rice right-fielder Chad Lembeck made a diving catch of a fly ball, then fired the ball back into the infield to double-off both baserunners. The triple play was scored 9-3-6-4, Lembeck to Joe Savery to Brian Friday to Jess Buenger.

The play gave the Owls a lift and in the bottom of the frame Buenger led off with a single to center. Savery followed with a RBI double down the left field line for a 1-0 lead.

Long Beach State came right back with two in the top of the fifth. A Rice fielding error allowed leadoff man Steve Tinoco to reach base and a double to right-center by Jason Tweedy tied it 1-1. A hit batter and a pair of back-to-back singles gave the Dirtbags a 2-1 advantage, but the Blue & Gray turned a double-play to halt the threat.

Rice rallied for a pair of runs in the seventh. Lembeck laced a one-out single to right and catcher Danny Lehmann doubled to put two men in scoring position. The first Rice hit by newcomer Jared Gayhart scored both Owls to regain the lead 3-2. The team needed only to close out the final two innings, but LBSU scored an unearned run in the eighth and the game-winner after back-to-back leadoff walks to start the 11th.

The Owls fell to 3-4 on the young season while Long Beach improved to 5-2. The teams continue the three-game weekend series Saturday and Sunday at Reckling Park. Game times are set for 2 pm and 1 pm, respectively.