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March 17, 2008

Box Score

HOUSTON -- Freshman Rick Hague drove in six runs with a pair of home runs and sophomore pitcher Mike Ojala struck out a career-high nine in six shutout innings to lift the 11th-ranked Rice baseball team to a 9-1 victory over visiting Winthrop Monday night at Reckling Park in Houston. With the win the Owls pushed their win streak to five in a row heading into the final game of its current-five game home stand on Wednesday night (Mar. 19).

Hague's first home run of the game was the big blow in a four-run first inning. Chad Mozingo singled and Aaron Luna and Adam Zornes drew back-to-back walks with two-away to load the bases. Hague then drove a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left field for the team's first grand slam of the season. His third homer of the year tied him for the team lead gave the Owls all the margin they would need in the game.

Ojala's effort on the mound, in his third start and fourth appearance this season, was the best of his career. The right-hander from Kingwood, Tex., fired 6.0 shutout innings at the Eagles, scattering three singles without a walk. His nine strikeouts were the most by an Owl this season, more than any of his three previous outings combined and equaled the strikeout total he posted from his entire freshman year. Ojala was in trouble in only one inning, where he loaded the bases after hitting two batters, but regrouped to work out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

Hague was in the same groove, only on the offensive side. In his second at bat of the game in the fourth inning, he blasted his second longball of the game to help score three more runs. Zornes walked and Hague followed another round-tripper that disappeared over the grass berm behind left field. He drove in each of the first six runs of the game for a 6-0 lead, but the Owls weren't finished. Jimmy Comerota walked with two outs and scored on a base hit to right by Jared Gayhart that made the score 7-0.

In the fifth Luna slugged a home run that stretched the margin to 8-0. The shot was his first of the year, but the 30th of his career and moved him into sole possession of ninth place on the school's all-time home run list. The Blue & Gray tallied its final run in the seventh with an RBI single by J.P. Padron that scored catcher John Hale.

Rice, now 13-6, completed the four-game sweep of Winthrop hitting a combined .360 while averaging more than 10 runs per game. The Owls have now won 40-consecutive home series at Reckling Park. The home streak, which includes both regular season and NCAA super regionals, dates back to April of 2001. Winthrop fell to 3-14 on the year.

The Blue & Gray wrap up the current homestand on Wednesday night against the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns. First pitch at Reckling Park is set for 6:30 pm. Rice opens Conference USA action on the road at Marshall starting on Friday (Mar. 21). The three-game league series will be at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va.