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Feb. 24, 2008

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Junior Matt Langwell gave the Rice baseball team a solid starting effort on the mound and junior reliever Bryan Price helped make it stand up as the Owls defeated nationally-ranked Long Beach State on the road by a score of 3-1 Sunday afternoon at Blair Field in Long Beach, Calif.

Three Rice pitchers, Langwell, Price and freshman Matt Evers, combined to hold the Forty-niners to just a run on four hits while striking out 12 to notch the team's first win of the season. The Owls also pitched well in the team's first two games of the season-opening series at LBSU, but dropped a pair of one-run games including the season-opener 1-0 in extra innings and Saturday's second game by a score of 3-2.

Sunday's finale was again well pitched by both teams, but the Owls had just enough offense for the victory. Langwell allowed just three hits and two walks over 6.2 innings while striking out eight in his first outing of the season. He worked out of a bases-loaded situation and Price later did the same, striking out a career-high four Long Beach hitters in 2.1 frames for his first save of the year.

Rice took its first lead of the weekend series with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Freshman Chad Mozingo reached base on a Long Beach fielding error to lead off the inning and Diego Seastrunk laced a double to the right-center to put men on second and third. Aaron Luna followed by sending a long fly ball to left field. It wasn't enough to leave the yard, but it was enough to advance both runners with Mozingo scoring on a sacrifice fly. Seastrunk came home from third on an RBI ground out and the Blue & Gray were up 2-0.

The Owls added a run in the fifth. Adam Zornes led off with a single to center and he moved into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt by Jordan Dodson. Zornes was able to move up another 90 feet on a Long Beach balk. He scored on a sacrifice fly by Jimmy Comerota to stretch the margin to 3-0.

The Forty-niners answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Right fielder Zach Barger slugged a one-out home run to right-center to cut the lead to 3-1. LBSU was looking for more runs with a man on base, but Langwell ended the threat with a pair of strikeouts. The College Station, Tex., native finished with eight and was just one from his season high nine K's set last season at the C-USA Tournament.

Rice survived some fireworks in the bottom of the sixth. Espinosa knocked a two-out double and Shane Peterson walked. Devin Lohman followed with an single up the middle that Owl freshman shortstop Rick Hague made a diving stop at the edge of the infield dirt behind second base. Espinosa was already more than halfway home, but had to retreat back to third when Hague kept the ball from leaving the infield. Espinosa made it back to third on a close play, but the bases were now loaded for Barger, the Fort-niner who hit the home run the inning before. Langwell worked out of the jam with a short fly ball to left and the inning was over.

Rice survived another bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the seventh. After two quick outs, LBSU put runners on every station with a single and two walks. Price entered the game and ended the inning with a strikeout. He retired six in a row after that. The Owls are now 1-2 to start the season while Long Beach State suffered its first defeat to move to 2-1.

Rice next faces Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in its 2008 home-opener on Tuesday. First pitch with the Islanders is slated for 4 pm at Reckling Park. Rice then hosts crosstown rival Houston at the same start time the very next day (Wed.).