April 11, 2006
Box Score
WACO, Texas - Josh Rodriguez blasted a 1-2 Nick Cassavechia slider over the wall in right-center for a three-run, game-winning home run with one out in the top of the ninth as No. 2 Rice rallied for a 6-4 victory Tuesday night over No. 24 Baylor at Baylor Ballpark. The loss snapped a seven-game home winning streak for the Bears (22-12). Rice (29-8) has won 11 consecutive games.
It marked the first time Baylor lost a game when leading after eight innings since a 2-1, 11-inning loss April 19, 2005, at TCU, snapping a streak of 34 consecutive victories in that situation. The Bears entered the game 140-6 since the start of the 2002 season when leading after eight and had won 69 of their last 70 such games. It was Baylor's first loss when leading after eight at home since Feb. 4, 2003, when the Bears saw Texas State score seven runs in the top of the ninth for a 9-5 win.
The top of the ninth did not start well for the Bears. Tyler Henley led off with a ground ball to second baseman Ben Booker, who fielded it cleanly but threw high to first. Greg Buchanan then sacrificed Henley to second, and the Bears intentionally walked left-handed hitting Joe Savery to set up a force and face right-handed Rodriguez. Cassavechia got ahead 0-2, but Rodriguez lay off the next pitch and then lined his fourth home run of the season.
Rodriguez' blast made a winner of Craig Crow (4-1), who allowed only two walks in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts. Crow walked pinch hitter Jake Rippee with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but Jeff Mandel struck out and pinch hitter Drew Jeffcoat grounded into a game-ending fielder's choice to end the threat.
Cassavechia (3-2) was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits and two walks with one strikeout in 1.1 innings.
The loss spoiled a strong start by Baylor's Jeff Mandel, who surrendered one run on three hits and a walk with a career-high four strikeouts in 5.0 innings. The lone run off Mandel came in the fifth when, with two outs, an Aaron Luna pop up down the line in right found a hole in three converging Baylor fielder's and scored Brian Friday from second.
That run began Rice's comeback from an early 3-0 deficit. The Bears got three runs on two hits and a Rice error in the second. Kevin Russo led off with a double through the left side and Booker was hit by a pitch. Tim Jackson tried to sacrifice the runners, but a charging Savery fielded it and threw to get Russo at third. However, Savery's throw was in the dirt and Russo was safe. Mandel followed with an RBI groundout, and two batters later Chase Gerdes ripped a two-out, two-run double past Savery down the right-field line.
Rice got another run back in the sixth on two hits and a Baylor error. With two outs and Buchanan on first, Baylor reliever Cliff Springston induced a ground ball to third off the bat of Jordan Dodson. However, Russo's throw to first sailed wide, putting runners at second and third. Friday then beat out an RBI single to short, scoring Buchanan.
Baylor quickly answered as Booker laced a Bobby Bramhall first-pitch fastball over the wall in right-center for his first career home run. That was the only blemish in 3.0 innings of relief for Bramhall, who also had two strikeouts.
Rice again cut the lead to one with a run in the seventh thanks to a walk and consecutive seeing-eye singles, all with two outs. Savery had the second single, an RBI grounder that made its way past shortstop Beamer Weems, who was shaded up the middle against the left-handed hitting Savery.
Owls' starter Will McDaniel did not factor in the decision, allowing three unearned runs on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4.0 innings.
Baylor returns to action this weekend with a three-game Big 12 Conference series against No. 8 Texas. The series begins Thursday at Baylor Ballpark with a 7 p.m. CDT first pitch. The series then shifts to Austin's Disch-Falk Field for Friday's 7 p.m. contest and Saturday's 2 p.m. finale. The Friday and Saturday games will be televised live on CSTV and will be available to BaylorBears.com All Access subscribers.
NOTES: Baylor leads the all-time series 125-81-1, including a 71-29 advantage in games played in Waco. However, Rice has won three straight meetings in Waco. Baylor is 12-16 against Rice under head coach Steve Smith. ... Booker's home run was Baylor's first by a left-handed batter against a left-handed pitcher since May 1, 2005, when Seth Fortenberry accomplished the feat against Texas Tech's Billy Hargrove. ... Booker extended his hitting streak to a career-long five games. Russo (four games) and Jackson (three) also extended hitting streaks, while Zach Dillon (five games), Mandel (five), Kevin Sevigny (four), Fortenberry (three) and Weems (three) all saw streaks end. ... Baylor's four hits were its lowest total in a game at Baylor Ballpark since Arizona State held the Bears to three hits Feb. 25. ... The game drew a crowd of 3,443, the second-largest midweek crowd in Baylor Ballpark history.
