HOUSTON – After battling through eight scoreless innings, Rice's Connor Walsh came through with a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth as the Owls escaped with a 1-0, series-clinching victory over HBU Monday afternoon at Reckling Park.
The Huskies (1-2) were held to three hits, a single each by freshman shortstop
Sebastian Trinidad, senior rightfielder
Brandon Bena and sophomore catcher
Dawson Woods.
Junior lefthander
Austin Spinney shut out Rice on four hits with two strikeouts and two walks in six innings. Sophomore righthander
Daxton Tinker (0-1) took the loss, allowing a walk and a hit batter to lead off the ninth, then junior
Andrew Reitmeyer gave up the game-winning hit.
Walsh went 1-for-4 in driving in the lone run of the game. Will Karp went 2-for-4 and Cade Edwards went 1-for-3 and scored the game-winning run. Braden Comeaux, Justin Dunlap and Austin Bulman also had singles in a game that featured no extra-base hits.
Reed Gallant (1-0) earned the win for the Owls (2-1), holding the Huskies hitless over the final five innings, striking out five and walking a pair. Starter Roel Garcia shut HBU out on three hits with three strikeouts for the first four innings.
Tinker walked Edwards to lead off the bottom of the ninth, then pinch hitter Johnny Hoyle was hit by a pitch. After a double steal, Walsh hit a deep fly ball to center for the walk-off single.
The Huskies return to action when they travel to face No. 12 Texas Tech for a three-game series Friday through Sunday at Dan Law Field in Lubbock.
