No. 6 Baseball tops No. 13 Rice in season opener, 3-1

Friday, February 13

Houston, Texas

6 p.m.

University of Texas

1-0

Rice

0-1

Texas

RICE

No. 6 Baseball tops No. 13 Rice in season opener, 3-1

02.13.2015 | Baseball

Box Score

French goes 5 strong innings; Shaw delivers go-ahead, two-run double

HOUSTON – Parker French tossed five innings of one-run ball and right fielder Collin Shaw went 2-for-5 with the go-ahead two-run double in the seventh inning as the No. 6 Texas baseball team defeated No. 13 Rice 3-1 in the season opener Friday night at Reckling Park.

Despite being outhit 10-6, Texas (1-0) was able to capitalize on its opportunities while keeping Rice (0-1) from capitalizing on its own. The Longhorns turned three double plays on the night and UT pitchers stranded 10 Rice base-runners to escape from several threats.

Behind French, the Texas bullpen offered up four scoreless innings, with Travis Duke (1-0) picking up the win by tossing two scoreless frames. Freshman Connor Mayes came in to pitch a scoreless eighth and junior lefty Ty Culbreth (1) got the save by working a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth.

With the game tied 1-1, Shaw delivered what proved to be the game-winning hit in the seventh. Travis Jones (walk) and Ben Johnson (error) both reached to start the inning and Shaw, after falling behind in the count, lifted a fly ball just fair down the right field line for a double to score two runs.

Early on, Texas was kept off-balance by Rice starter Kevin McCanna, who settled into a groove after allowing a first inning double to Shaw. The right-handed junior retired 10 straight after that, getting to the bottom of the fourth before Brooks Marlow laced a two-out double to right field.

The Longhorns broke through in the fifth when they loaded the bases with no outs on an error and two walks. Johnson delivered an infield single to tie it up 1-1, but Texas was unable to punch in the go-ahead run as it left the bases loaded.

Duke followed French and faced trouble in both of his frames, allowing back-to-back singles to start the sixth and seventh, but escaped without damage each time.

Mayes, despite allowing two singles, worked a scoreless frame with the help of his defense. Rice's Trevor Teykl led off the eighth with a single to left field, but was gunned down by Johnson trying to stretch it into a double. After another single, Mayes induced an inning-ending, 6-3 double play.

Rice had struck first after French opened the game by hitting leadoff batter Ryan Chandler with a 2-2 offering. Ford Stainback followed with a single and Leon Byrd drove in the game's first run with a sacrifice fly to left field.

French found his groove in the second, striking out Charlie Warren looking on an 0-2 slider and then inducing a 6-4-3 double play. Texas turned another double play in the third when Chandler lined out to C.J Hinojosa and Hinojosa doubled off a runner at first. French allowed four hits in his five innings of work, striking out one.

Rice reliever Ryan McCarthy (0-1) was pegged with the loss after allowing the pair of runs in the sixth inning. McCanna struck out eight and walked two while surrendering three hits and one unearned run in his five innings of work.

The Longhorns and Owls return to the diamond for a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch in game one is set for noon, while game two will get underway at approximately 4 p.m.