The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Rice
No. 16 Baseball drops 7-3 decision to No. 15 Rice
04.01.2008 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 16 Texas Longhorns fanned a season-high 16 batters but were unable to overcome five errors in a 7-3 loss to the No. 15 Rice Owls in collegiate baseball action Tuesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Chance Ruffin (2-2) was saddled with the loss despite striking out a career-high six batters in four innings of work. Ruffin allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits and two walks in relief. Brandon Workman, the UT starter, allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits and one walk while striking out four over 2.2 innings. Pat McCrory relieved Ruffin and allowed one unearned run on one walk while striking out three over 1.1 innings. Brandon Belt closed out the game with three strikeouts while allowing two unearned runs on two hits over one inning.
Matt Evers (1-1) earned the win in relief for Rice. He logged a career-high 10 strikeouts while allowing just one hit and three walks over 3.2 innings. Bryan Price picked up his second career save of the season, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out one over 1.2 innings.
Michael Torres extended his hitting streak to 14 games for Texas, going 1-for-3 with one RBI. Russell Moldenhauer went 2-for-2 with one run scored and Tant Shepherd drove in a pair of runs, going 1-for-3.
Rice was led offensively by Rick Hague who hit 2-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. Jimmy Comerota went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one stolen base.
The Owls jumped out to a 1-0 lead with one run in the first inning. Two consecutive errors to start the game put runners on second and third for Rice and Adam Zornes drove in Aaron Luna with a sacrifice fly.
Texas gained the lead with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Moldenhauer hit an infield single to leadoff the inning and Preston Clark was hit by a pitch. Kyle Russell pushed runners to second and third with a deep fly ball to leftfield. Shepherd laced a single through the middle to plate a pair. A groundout by David Hernandez pushed Shepherd to second and he scored on a single through the right side by Torres, staking Texas to a 3-1 lead.
Rice trimmed a run off the lead in the third inning. Luna hit a leadoff single and Jared Gayhart followed with a walk. With two outs, Hague doubled to the wall in rightfield, pushing Luna across.
The Owls tied the game with a run in the sixth. With one out, J.P. Padron doubled to the gap in right centerfield, moved to third on a groundout by Chad Mozingo and scored on a single to centerfield by Comerota, knotting the game at 3-3.
Rice reclaimed the lead with a run in the seventh. With one out, Luna reached on an error and stole second base. Another UT error on a ground ball by Zornes allowed Luna to score.
The Owls put the game out of reach with three insurance runs in the ninth. Jordan Dodson drew a walk to leadoff the inning. With two outs, a Texas error put runners at the corners. Diego Seastrunk singled down the rightfield line to plate Dodson and Hague plated a pair with a double down the leftfield line.
Texas returns to action Wednesday with the Longhorns hosting Texas Southern in a 6:05 p.m. contest at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
