RE: Rice vs UAB- Mark at the Park
Kendall gives up two in the 9th, but the Owls nail down the win 8-5. The game was lost by UAB much more than Rice winning it. They actually out-hit us, and we committed two more errors (and it should have been three more errors). But a win is a win, and UAB is just ahead of us in the standings, and is the only thing between us and Biloxi.
Game Ball #1: Brandon Comeaux (2-4, HBP, double, 1 run, 3 RBIs)-- thanks to his clutch, bases-clearing double in the fourth, which gave us the lead that was never relinquished.
Game Ball #2: Matt Canterino (W, 6-4, 6.0 IP, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 0 BBs, 2 HBP, 5 Ks)-- hung in there despite clearly not having his best stuff, and struggling to command his off-speed pitches. Gave us a quality start.
Game Ball #3: Kendall Jefferies (Save #3, 3.0 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 BB, 5 Ks)-- struggled a bit in the ninth, but worked out of back-to-back, error-induced jams in the 7th and 8th innings, each time striking out the final two batters with runners in scoring position.
Offense needs to get on track and out of it's 2 week and counting slump. The only thing that saved us tonight was the steady gifts granted us by the UAB pitching staff....and even then, it took several clutch hits in one inning to give us the margin of victory. We squandered almost every other opportunity and they were in abundance.
UAB has burned it's only quality starter and two of it's four quality relievers. This should set us up nicely for the next two games, but then again, we have been dominated the past two Sundays by pitchers with ERAs over 5.00.
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