For the first game of the year I will take it.

Winning close ones early in the season makes winning down the road much more manageable.

Great game, Go Owls!

No need to look pretty in the first game. Keep in mind, Salinas looked sharp in just three innings. When he's going 5 or 6, games like this end Rice 6, Opponent 3. Canterino going tomorrow should help; we will see how the offense holds up against UCF

I was really concerned with losing today for morale/confidence reasons. Didn't want a "Not this s*** again" flashback by the team. If we had lost, we would've been pressing against UCF and UVA, which is the worst thing to do.

Now all we need to do is take 1/2 on Sat/Sun and it will have been a pretty successful weekend.

Well, on the radio it sure didn't sound like a pretty game..but the W for the Owls is all that matters.
First game pitching woes.
Proud of everybody. Kudos to Chase...great walk-off HR

Reminded me of a come-from-behind opening day victory in 2001. We hosted the #1 ranked, Mark Texiera led Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Texiera hit a long home run early in the game, and Austin Davis hit one for the Owls. We were down by a run with 2 outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth. Jesse Roman won it with a double to the gap in right center. Wow was that fun.

Wow. Great ending. Apparently the ball bounced on top of the wall? Anyone know?

(02-16-2018 03:42 PM)grol Wrote:  Wow. Great ending. Apparently the ball bounced on top of the wall? Anyone know?

I'm sure sts60 will tell us ... after he completes his long and comprehensive celebration. :-)

(02-16-2018 03:39 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I was really concerned with losing today for morale/confidence reasons. Didn't want a "Not this s*** again" flashback by the team. If we had lost, we would've been pressing against UCF and UVA, which is the worst thing to do.

Now all we need to do is take 1/2 on Sat/Sun and it will have been a pretty successful weekend.

It was exactly "this sh^t again", as we won our opener last year.

Given Walt's assessments, I expected a lower scoring game for both teams.

(02-16-2018 03:47 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:39 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I was really concerned with losing today for morale/confidence reasons. Didn't want a "Not this s*** again" flashback by the team. If we had lost, we would've been pressing against UCF and UVA, which is the worst thing to do.

Now all we need to do is take 1/2 on Sat/Sun and it will have been a pretty successful weekend.

It was exactly "this sh^t again", as we won our opener last year.

Given Walt's assessments, I expected a lower scoring game for both teams.

Feel good win, and it will make for a fun dinner with the team tonight.

Game Ball #1: Chase Sarchet (1-4, 2 runs, HR, 3 RBIs, BB, 2 SBs)-- just an all-around outstanding game for Chase. Besides the walk-off bomb, he had a couple exceptional ABs in which he battled back from 0-2 counts to keep run-scoring innings alive.

Game Ball #2: Ricky Salinas (3.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run, 0 BBs, 4 Ks)-- on strict pitch count as he comes back from TJS, he looked like his old self; perhaps even better. The OG gave him a big hug as he left the mound after the 3rd inning.

Game Ball #3: Braden Comeaux (1-5, HR, run, RBI)-- first AB bomb. Welcome to Rice!

Gayle has to work on his control, but he has dominating stuff. Akers also looked good once he settle down after that first inning.

We gifted Samson 5 of their 7 runs. Need to clean it up tomorrow.

Quote:Chace Sarchet
‏@C_Sarchet23
Happy Birthday Papaw....love & miss you!

Makes it a litte more sweeter.

(02-16-2018 03:47 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:39 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I was really concerned with losing today for morale/confidence reasons. Didn't want a "Not this s*** again" flashback by the team. If we had lost, we would've been pressing against UCF and UVA, which is the worst thing to do.

Now all we need to do is take 1/2 on Sat/Sun and it will have been a pretty successful weekend.

It was exactly "this sh^t again", as we won our opener last year.

Given Walt's assessments, I expected a lower scoring game for both teams.

We won the opener at Texas, but ended up losing 4 of the next 5, 7 of the next 9, and 10 of the next 13. I'd say see how the first few weeks pan out before making any comparisons to recent seasons.

(02-16-2018 03:22 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Gone - 2 RUN HOMER BY SARCHET WINS IT!!!!

I was loitering on the deck beyond the right-field fence when his ball flew over. I was able to track down the rare North American walk-off dinger, baseballus seeyoulaterus, in its natural habitat and return it to the owner thereof:

(02-16-2018 04:26 PM)sts60 Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:22 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Gone - 2 RUN HOMER BY SARCHET WINS IT!!!!

I was loitering on the deck beyond the right-field fence when his ball flew over. I was able to track down the rare North American walk-off dinger, baseballus seeyoulaterus, in its natural habitat and return it to the owner thereof:

Very nice.

(02-16-2018 04:26 PM)sts60 Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:22 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Gone - 2 RUN HOMER BY SARCHET WINS IT!!!!

I was loitering on the deck beyond the right-field fence when his ball flew over. I was able to track down the rare North American walk-off dinger, baseballus seeyoulaterus, in its natural habitat and return it to the owner thereof:

Great photo!

Thanks!

(02-16-2018 04:24 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:47 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:39 PM)ExcitedOwl18 Wrote:  I was really concerned with losing today for morale/confidence reasons. Didn't want a "Not this s*** again" flashback by the team. If we had lost, we would've been pressing against UCF and UVA, which is the worst thing to do.

Now all we need to do is take 1/2 on Sat/Sun and it will have been a pretty successful weekend.

It was exactly "this sh^t again", as we won our opener last year.

Given Walt's assessments, I expected a lower scoring game for both teams.

We won the opener at Texas, but ended up losing 4 of the next 5, 7 of the next 9, and 10 of the next 13. I'd say see how the first few weeks pan out before making any comparisons to recent seasons.

For sure. Way too early to say this year will be better, or worse, or the same as last year. Just saying, we didn't start last year with a loss, so if we had started this year with a loss, it wouldn't be "this again".

Great to see Salinas healthy and throwing strikes. Given the opponent, I am more concerned with the BB/HBP numbers from Acker, Kravetz, Jefferies, and Gayle then I am excited about their Ks. Just one game though, very interested to see how each of those guys respond during their 2nd appearance.

(02-16-2018 04:34 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 04:26 PM)sts60 Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:22 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Gone - 2 RUN HOMER BY SARCHET WINS IT!!!!

I was loitering on the deck beyond the right-field fence when his ball flew over. I was able to track down the rare North American walk-off dinger, baseballus seeyoulaterus, in its natural habitat and return it to the owner thereof:

Great photo!

Thanks!

You’re welcome.

I had to leave for the airport in T9, but lingered as the game flipped to the bottom of the inning. No fooling, I amused myself by imagining I might catch a game-winning HR if I stayed a bit longer.

UCF has a nice little deck, sort of an outdoor cafe feel, behind the RF fence, and I sat down next to a gentlemen (Samford fan) who was telling me about their ace reliever. Apparently the line drive by Proctor was unusual - very few guys squared the ball up off him - and the following K was more in line with expectations. Then, of course, Chase hit the ball about 390’ in the air and that was that. I’m afraid I was chuckling audibly as I trotted after it.

After tossing it to one of our players and asking him to give it to Sarchet, I left, then started laughing my ass off as I drove away. I was a student manager lo these many moons ago, and shagging wayward balls was one of my duties. And here I was, three decades later, doing the same damn thing. Haven’t lost a step in thirty years.

P.S. Nice meeting some of you.

A win is a win, it will be great if we win one of the next two games with the same score.

UCF up 5-3 vs. UVA.

T6

(02-16-2018 03:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  

(02-16-2018 03:21 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Gametracker says Proctor reached on an E9.

Was listening to radio - they called it a single.

Sarchet homer apparently bounced off the wall and over. Exciting start to the season.

Not quite. RFer dove over the wall and had the ball in his glove as his body doubled over the fencing, and the ball dropped out. Great try by the RFer.