March 26, 2006

Box Score

Rice 5, ECU 0

HOUSTON, TEXAS - Joe Savery pitched eight innings of shutout ball against East Carolina as Rice defeated the Pirates 5-0 in game three of the Conference USA opening series for both schools at Reckling Park in Houston, Texas.

Rice (20-8) jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh when Tyler Henley's single to right field off Taylor scored Danny Lehmann from second to give the Owls a 1-0 lead.

ECU (17-9) starter Brody Taylor suffered his the first loss of his career in Pirate uniform, despite allowing just one run in 6 1/3 innings on five hits. Kevin Rhodes came in to relieve Taylor in the bottom of the seventh giving up three hits and two runs.

Six different Pirate batters collected hits on the day with Jaime Ray extending his hitting streak to six games with his double in the eighth inning.

Savery improved to 4-1 on the season allowing six hits with five strike outs and two walks before giving way to Bryce Cox, who pitched a scoreless ninth to preserve the win.

Jordan Dodson and Henley led the Owls bats with two hits each, while Chad Lembeck collected a pair of RBIs.

The Owls added another run in the seventh inning on Travis Reagan's ground out to third. Pirate first baseman Adam Witter threw the ball back to third trying for a double-play, but the Dale Mollehauer was unable to come up with the scoop and Henly scored plating the second run.

The Pirates had a great chance to score in the top of the first when Mollenhauer reach first on a drag but. He then advanced to third on a Witter single, but Witter was thrown out at second trying to advance on the throw ending the inning.

Rice pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the eighth on Lembeck's bases loaded double to left field putting the Owl's up 5-0.

The Pirates will be back in action Wednesday when they hit the road to face in-state rival N.C. State at Doak Field with a 7 p.m. start scheduled.