HOUSTON, Texas – No. 21-ranked Rice rebounded from a loss in Friday's series opener to defeat Southeastern Louisiana, 15-5, to even the series Saturday at Reckling Park.
Southeastern (3-2) and the Owls (3-4) wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Lions came out the box swinging.
Center fielder
Jacob Seward, a senior from New Orleans, Louisiana, led off the game with a single up the middle. Left fielder
Drew Avans, a junior from Alabaster, Alabama, pulled a hit-and-run single through the right side and third baseman
Taylor Schwaner, a junior from New Orleans, dropped an RBI single down the right-field line.
Second baseman
Carson Crites, a senior from Amarillo, Texas, reached on a fielder's choice that erased Schwaner, but promptly stole second. First baseman
Derrick Mount, a senior from Saucier, Mississippi, followed with a sacrifice fly to plate Avans from third and give the Lions a 2-0 lead.
Rice answered in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game.
With one out, right fielder Charlie Warren tripled to right-center field and scored on an RBI single through the right side by shortstop Ford Proctor. A wild pitch moved Proctor to second and he advanced to third on a comebacker to the mound. Proctor then scored on an RBI triple to right-center off the bat of first baseman Dane Myers.
The Owls took the lead in the bottom of the second.
Southeastern starting pitcher
Kade Granier (0-2), a junior from Destrehan, Louisiana, hit the leadoff hitter, center fielder Ryan Chandler, with a pitch. After he was sacrificed to second, Chandler scored on a two-out double to right off the bat of second baseman Brad Gneiting. Warren then knocked an RBI single up the middle to score Gneiting, giving Rice a 4-2 lead.
In the third, the Owls expanded the lead with a grand slam and then added six more runs in the fourth.
The Lions got a pair of runs back in the sixth.
Schwaner drew a walk, Crites singled to left and Mount walked to load the bases against Rice starting pitcher Ricardo Salinas (1-1). Catcher
Daniel Wasinger, a junior from El Paso, Texas, drove a single up the middle to drive in both Schwaner and Crites.
Southeastern added a run in the seventh.
Avans and Schwaner both walked and then pulled off a double steal. Avans scored when catcher Dominic DiCaprio's throw to second sailed into center field.
Rice scored its final run in the eighth.
Salinas earned the win despite allowing four runs in 5.2 innings pitched. He surrendered seven hits and three walks, striking out seven batters.
Granier suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on six hits in two innings of work. He walked one and hit a pair of batters.
Tyler Booth, a freshman from Lake Charles, Louisiana,
Gage Pickett, a redshirt junior from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and
Cliff Hurst, a senior from Clinton, Louisiana, also spent time on the mound for Southeastern. Pickett tossed a career-high 4.1 innings, helping to save the bullpen.
Shortstop
Brennan Breaud, a sophomore from Norco, Louisiana, led the Lions at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base.
Sophomore right-hander
Corey Gaconi (0-0, 0.00) is scheduled to get the starting nod for the Lions in the series finale versus Rice freshman righty Matt Canterino (0-1, 9.00).
The game can be heard in the Hammond, Louisiana, area on KSLU 90.9 FM, online and through the TuneIn Radio app (search for KSLU). Fans can also keep up with the series finale through live statistics or by following SLUathletics on Twitter. Links for audio, video and stats are available on the baseball schedule page at www.LionSports.net.
Rice 15, Southeastern 5 (Feb 25, 2017 at Houston)
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Southeastern........ 200 002 100 - 5 8 0 (3-2)
Rice..................... 224 600 01X - 15 15 1 (3-4)
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Pitchers: Southeastern - Granier, Kade; Booth, Tyler (3); Pickett, Gage (4); Hurst, Cliff (8) and Wasinger, Daniel. Rice - Ricardo Salinas; Roel Garcia (6); Willy Amador (7); Nick Silber (8) and Dominic DiCaprio.
Win-Ricardo Salinas (1-1) Loss-Granier, Kade (0-2) T-3:04 A-2457
HR RICE - Ryan Chandler (1).
Weather: 67 degrees, 13-mph N wind
Granier, K. faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
