Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Rice
Rice Salvages Final Game Of Series Against No. 20 Bulldogs
3/26/2000 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 26, 2000
FRESNO, Calif. - Rice salvaged the final game of this weekend's three-game WAC series on Sunday afternoon with a 5-2 victory against No. 20 Fresno State at Pete Beiden Field. The Bulldogs dropped to 23-8 overall and 8-4 in conference play, while the Owls improved to 15-16 overall and 5-7 in the WAC.
Rice touched Fresno State starting pitcher Beau Hintz (So., Stockton, Calif.) for two runs in the first inning on the first of Eric Arnold's two home runs of the game. The Bulldogs responded with runs in both the second and the third to knot the game at two, but Rice plated runs in the fourth, sixth and eighth to put the game out of reach.
Fresno State rallied to load the bases with one out in the eighth, but Nick Garcia (Jr., Lakewood, Calif.) hit into the Bulldogs' fourth double play of the game to end the threat and the inning.
"The story of this game was the double plays and the home runs by Rice," Fresno State head coach Bob Bennett said. "The double plays really hurt us. If we could have turned those into hits, then it would have been a different ballgame. Sometimes there is nothing you can do about double plays. Garcia hit his ball hard. Sometimes it has to do with the pitching."
Fresno State could muster only five singles off a pair of Rice pitchers in the loss. Leadoff hitter Tom Creighton (So., Weldon, Calif.) was 1-for-2 with a run scored, a walk and was hit by a pitch. Creighton has reached base by either hit, walk or hit by pitch in 20 consecutive games and in 29-of-30 games played this season.
Hintz allowed four runs on five hits and struck out three in his 5.1 innings pitched. His record dropped to 3-3 for the season. Hans Smith (Sr., Central Point, Ore.) relieved Hintz in the sixth and allowed a home run to Tony Adler in the eighth to snap his scoreless innings streak at 14. Smith struck out two over the final 3.2 innings for the Bulldogs.
Marc Gwyn started for the Owls and earned the victory. Gwyn allowed two unearned runs on four hits and struck out three in 7.1 innings of work. He improved to 3-5 this season. Kenny Baugh, who started Friday's game, relieved Gwyn in the eighth and shut Fresno State out during the final 1.2 innings to pick up his first career save.
Arnold paced Rice by going 3-for-4 with a double, two home runs and four RBIs. Adler and Mitch Ackal each added a pair of hits.
Fresno State returns to action on Tuesday, March 28, when it hosts Loyola Marymount (18-10) at Beiden Field. Right-hander Nick Moran (So., Elk Grove, Calif.) is scheduled to make his first start of the season for the Bulldogs. Moran has no record and a 4.32 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched this season. First pitch is slated for 7 p.m.
