Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Rice
Rice Defeats Baseball 8-1
3/24/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 24, 2001
Houston, Texas - Jeff Nichols, battling back from a shoulder injury that jeopardized his baseball life, won the 40th game of his Rice career Saturday, an 8-1 Western Athletic Conference decision over Fresno State at Reckling Park.
Nichols, a senior from Duncanville, allowed eight hits, struck out three and did not walk a batter in his six innings of work. It was his second straight win after losing his first start of his comeback season.
Nichols, who had 38 wins duering his first three Rice seasons (1997-99), missed most of the 2000 season with the shoulder ailment. He received a medical redshirt after the season which allowed his return to the 2001 Owl staff.
The 40th win ties Nichols with former Arizona State star Eddie Bane (1971-73) for second place on the WAC's all-time wins list, and it extends his Rice records in wins, innings pitched (404.1), and starts (60).
Nichols was the beneficiary of another strong Rice offensive attack. Five of the Owls' nine hits were for extra bases, including a pair of doubles by Austin Davis and Mike Lorsbach's second home run of the year. Rice scored its runs in six consecutive innings.
Jesse Roman got Rice's first big hit, a second-inning triple off losing pitcher Ben Fritz (2-3), and the senior first-baseman also had a fourth-inning sacrifice fly. Lorsbach's home run was a two-run drive to right field in the sixth.
Casey McGehee's RBI-double in the sixth accounted for Fresno State's lone run off Nichols, but reliever Steven Herce allowed the Bulldogs only two hits over the last three innings to secure his second save of the year.
Rice, which had a 13-6 win Friday night, goes for the series sweep Sunday at 1 pm. In winning their fifth straight WAC game, the Owls are now 24-6 overall and 13-1 in league play, while Fresno State falls to 20-12 and 6-5.
College Baseball at Reckling Park, Houston Rice 8, Fresno State 1 Fresno State 000 001 000 - 1 10 3 RICE OWLS 021 112 10x - 8 9 1 Ben Fritz, Beau Hintz (6), Francisco Nieves (7) and Brad Harper. Jeff Nichols, Steven Herce (7) and Phillip Ghutzman. W- Nichols, 2-1. L- Fritz, 2-3. Save- Herce (2). 2B- FS: Brandon Gemoll, Casey McGehee, Rice: Austin Davis 2. 3B- Rice: Jesse Roman. HR- Rice: Mike Lorsbach (2). Time - 1:59. Att. - 2,052. Team Records: Fresno State 20-12, 6-5 WAC, Rice 24-6, 13-1 WAC.
