No. 23 Baseball picks up 11-4 win at Rice

Tuesday, February 19

Houston, Texas

7 p.m. CT

University of Texas

3-1

Rice

2-2

Texas

Rice

Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics

02.19.2019 | Baseball

Box Score

The Longhorns pounded out a season-high 13 hits.

Box Score (PDF)

HOUSTON, Texas -- The No. 23 Texas baseball team broke out the bats in an 11-4 win over Rice at Reckling Park on Tuesday night in the first midweek game of the season.

The middle of the Texas batting order blew up, as Eric Kennedy, Austin Todd, Zach Zubia and DJ Petrinsky each had two hits in the game. Zubia and Petrinsky each had three RBI.

Beau Ridgeway made his first appearance of the season and picked up the win. He pitched 1 2/3 innings and got the Longhorns out of a bases-loaded jam in the third inning. Donny Diaz made his career debut for Texas and pitched two scoreless innings.

Rice got the scoring started in the second inning with a two-out unearned run. But the Owls' lead didn't last long.

Texas responded in a big way in the next half inning, scoring five runs on four hits in the top of the third. Bryce Reagan and Duke Ellis both walked with one out before Kennedy hit an RBI single to tie the game up, 1-1.

Zubia singled to right field to drive in Ellis and give Texas the lead. The Longhorns weren't done though, as Petrinsky hit a two-run triple to right-center field and scored on an error to make the score 5-1.

Rice loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the third and the Longhorns turned to Ridgeway out of the bullpen. The senior picked up a big strikeout to get Texas out of the jam and keep the 5-1 lead intact

Texas extended the lead to 8-1 on three hits in the of top of the fourth inning. Todd hit an RBI single to center field that scored Reagan. Zubia followed with a sacrifice fly for his second RBI of the night. Petrinsky kept the inning alive with an RBI single that scored Kennedy.

Rice got the three runs right back though, trimming the Texas lead to 8-4 after five innings.

Zubia hit his first home run of the season, extending the Texas lead to 9-4 in the top of the sixth.

Kennedy started the seventh inning with a stand-up triple and scored on an RBI single by Austin Todd to make the score 10-4. The Longhorns added one more run in the ninth after McCann walked and later scored on a groundout.

UP NEXT
Texas opens up its home schedule this weekend with a four-game series against Purdue. The Longhorns and Boilermakers start the series Friday night at 6:30 p.m. The teams play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and the series finale is Sunday at 12:30 p.m.