Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Rice
Baseball Downed 9-2 Against No. 3 Rice
3/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 29, 2002
HOUSTON - Fresno State (17-14, 5-2 WAC) dropped its second straight game with a 9-2 decision against Rice (24-5, 7-0 WAC). The Owls scored six runs in the sixth inning after being down 1-0 in the game.
Junior RHP Ben Fritz (San Jose, Calif.) fell to 5-3 on the year, losing his first decision since March 1, when he lost to Nebraska. Fritz kept the Owls at bay for the first five innings allowing just one hit and no runs.
Rice exploded, however, in the fifth inning scoring six runs to break the game open. Shortstop Enrique Cruz provided the big blow, hitting a grand slam. It was Cruz' only hit of the game, but it would be all the Owls needed on the night.
Fresno State got its first run in the first inning, when sophomore third baseman Casey McGehee (Santa Cruz, Calif.) singled in sophomore shortstop Chris Patrick (Fresno, Calif.).
McGehee went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
Rice RHP Steven Herce held the Bulldogs' bats in check the rest of the way retiring 13 in a row from the second inning to the sixth inning.
The Owls added three more runs in the seventh on a three-run homer from designated hitter Dane Bubela, who also had four RBI in the game.
The homer came off freshman RHP Sean Ruthven (Alpharetta, Ga.), who pitched 1.2 innings in relief.
Junior LHP David Bair (Merced, Calif.) finished the ballgame for FS, pitching a scoreless eighth.
Fresno State started a rally in the ninth, loading the bases with one out but pinch hitters freshman Kyle Atrat (Clovis, Calif.) and junior Scott Beshears (Fresno, Calif.) struck out and grounded out, respectively.
The Bulldogs and Owls continue their series tomorrow at 2 p.m.
