Fresno State Athletics
Fresno State
Rice
Late Rally Propels Baseball Past No. 1 Rice
4/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 11, 2003
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno State sent 11 men to the plate and scored six times in the bottom of the eighth inning en route to a 7-3 victory over No. 1-ranked Rice on Friday night at Beiden Field.
The win is the Bulldogs' first over a top-ranked team since defeating Stanford on Feb. 16, 2002. It also snaps Fresno State's seven-game losing streak to Rice.
Fresno State improves to 20-15 overall and 7-3 in the WAC while Rice drops to 33-3 and 12-1 in conference play. The loss snapped the Owls' 19-game winning streak in the WAC dating back to last season. Rice also had 19-game unbeaten streak on the road halted marking its first loss away from home since falling to Texas, 3-2, in ten innings on April 9, 2002 .
The eighth inning rally was highlighted by run scoring singles off the bats of freshman designated hitter Kent Sakamoto, junior catcher Brandon Marcelli and junior infielders Ryan Haag and Chris Patrick. Patrick and Haag led Fresno State with two RBI apiece. The Bulldogs pounded out a season best six hits in the frame.
Bulldog senior outfielder Scott Beshears went 2-for-5 with two singles to extend his hitting streak to a team season best nine games. Freshman outfielder Chase Moore blasted his seventh homer of the year in the fifth to give Fresno State its first run of the game.
FS junior righthander Cody Smith (6-2) pitched a career high and team season high 8 2/3 innings while limiting the Owls to three runs on eight hits while striking out four to earn his team high sixth victory of the year. Junior righty Bryan Wolfenbarger recorded the final out to tally his team-leading sixth save of the season.
Rice starter Philip Humber (8-1) was saddled with his first loss of the season after giving up five runs (one earned) on seven hits including four of the Bulldogs' runs in the eighth.
The Owls have lost two in a row for the first time this season after entering play Wednesday against Lamar with a nation-long 30-game losing streak.
The series continues Saturday at 6:35 p.m. when Owls' righthander Jeff Niemann (8-0, 2.07) is scheduled to oppose Fresno State senior lefty Donnie Bair (2-0, 2.22).
No. 1 Rice 001 010 001 - 3 8 2Fresno State 000 010 06x - 7 10 0Smith, Wolfenbarger (9), and Marcelli; Humber, Aardsma (8), and Blackinton. W- Smith (6-2). L- Humber (8-1) S- Wolfenbarger (6). Hrs: RICE: Bubela (2). FS: Moore (7). T: 2:37. A: 2727.
