Because I am ready to get hurt again….

Keeps saying on ESPN+ that we are waiting to start, but we are past the start time. Probably a metaphor in there somewhere.

Max Johnson and his .029 bat are in the lineup at 3B (vs Motley’s athleticism and at least .200 bat)

Ralamb on the mound.

Lead off bloop single into RF
Fly out
Dribbler back to pitcher for 1-3, but moves the runner to 2b
K ends the inning.

Owls coming up in bottom of 1st

Great at bat by Devenny. Gets down quickly 0-2, fouls off a bunch of pitches, then drives a double into the gap.

Fly out to shallow CF by Dukes

Rank rips an opposite field line drive to RF for a loud, RBI single.

Reidel hits an opposite field homer! Off the bat, it looked like a fly out, and Reidel even reacted that way, but it kept carrying! Owls up 3-0

Gallo stays hot, and shoots a single up the middle.

Manny grounds into an inning-ending DP. He’s really been struggling, as he’s normally a pretty reliable bat.

To the 2nd, up 3-0

Lead off HBP. I wonder what our record is?

K’s the next batter on a really nice offspeed pitch

Single moves the runner to 3rd, and a line out sac fly scores him.

Hard single to RF, but the runner inexplicably rounds 2nd, slips trying to get back to 2b, and gets tagged out. Thank you for the gift.

To the bottom of the 2nd, up 3-1 now.

New pitcher for TAMU-CC

Correa grounds out to 2b.

Royo strikes out looking on a FB down the middle, on 3 pitches. Guess he was looking for the offspeed.

Johnson grounds out to SS.

To the 3rd. If our initial 4 run lead yesterday didn’t stand up, I’m not sure our initial 3-run lead will tonight.

Lead off batter on board for the third inning in a row, this time with a walk.
Double puts Islanders on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. That’s all for Ralamb, as Hickson comes in.
Got squeezed on a good 2-2 pitch to load the count, but a fantastic offspeed pitch had him chasing for a K.
Gets two foul pop outs to end the inning!

Hickson is money.

Devenny leads off the bottom of the 3rd with a single

Dukes lays down a beauty of a bunt, and beats it out for a bunt single. Rank comes up with Owls on 1st and 2nd, no outs

WP allows the Owls to move up without the need for a bunt (Rank was squaring around to bunt on the WP but pulled it back)

Ranks smokes a hard ground ball just over the 3B bag, which then hopped into the bullpen for a ground rule double. Both runs score! Now 5-1 with Rank on 2nd and nobody out

Line drive to 1b, which he thinks he catches and tries to double off Rank at 2b (who ran to 3B). Islanders are arguing that he caught it and doubled off Rank. If not, then Owls on 1b and 3B. It stands! Reidel on 1st and Rank at 3rd, still no outs

Holy crap this ump is bad, two terrible strike calls against Gallo, who lets him know about it. 3B makes a spectacular play and gets Gallo, but moves the runner over to 2b, so Owls on 2nd and 3rd with one out. Manny up.

Manny, with Owls on 2nd and 3rd with only one out, pops up in foul territory. Really, really struggling.

Correa flies out to CF.

Sure hope those stranded Owls in scoring position don’t come back to bite us….

Heading into the top of the 4th, up 5-1

Mark Perkins in to pitch the 4th.

Ks the lead off batter (first time we’ve retired the lead off batter)

Ks the next batter!

Looping liner *just* gets over Reidel’s glove

Walk, followed by a double steal.

Infield single scores a run. Islanders on 1st and 3rd. Now 5-2.

Garza throws out the attempted steal before the runs scores. Islanders are challenging. After an eternity (because it was really tough to tell), they determine there isn’t enough to overturn it. Owls dodge a bullet, and the out call stands.

Bottom of the 4th, up 5-2

Royo flies out to LF

Johnson grounds out.

Devenny grounds out

To the 5th, up 5-2

Lead off batter grounds out to 2b

Weak grounder to 1b

Perkins freezes him for the K

Nice outing by Perkins. 3Ks in 2 innings of work.

Bottom of the 5th, Dukes leads off with a single smoked up the middle. However, he is easily thrown out on an attempted steal.

Rank fouls out down the RF line on a nice play by the RF

Reidel strikes out.

On to the 6th

Perkins walks the lead off runner in the top of the 6th.

Nice K on the offspeed, Perkins’ 4th tonight.

Not sure if that is scored a WP, but a short curve ball bounces in front of Manny, who blocks it, but can’t get the runner.

Groundout moves Islander to 3B with two outs.

Correa makes a very nice catch on a line drive into the gap to get us out of the inning.

To the bottom of the 6th, still clinging to a 5-2 lead.

In the bottom of the 6th:

Gallo grounds out 1-3

Manny strikes out. Poor guy just looks lost up there.

Correa strikes out.

Can we make a 3 run lead stand up over the final 3 innings……?

Perkins walks the lead off runner again in the top of the 7th.

Gets another K, his 5th. Perkins’ night is done, a really nice outing.

Vincent coming in.

Fly out to RF, and Correa with the alert throw nearly picks off a lazy Islander at 1st.

Tapper back to the pitcher ends the inning.

After the stretch:

Royo strikes out

Johnson strikes out. Now .027

Thankfully the pitcher is coming out for a lefty to face Devenny.

Devenny gets on with a HBP, but Dukes grounds into a FC to end the inning.

On to the 8th clinging to a 5-2 lead.

Ben-Shoshan in to pitch the 8th…….buckle up.

And right on cue, lead off batter with a triple off the wall.

Sac fly caught on the track in CF drives in a run. Now 5-3.

Now a single. The tying run is now at the plate.

Gets a K on a nice change up

another K on an offspeed gets us out of the inning. He should stick with his offspeed, because his fastball is just too straight, with little movement. On to the bottom of the 8th, now 5-3

In the 8th:

Rank grounds out

Reidel grounds out

Gallo flies out.

On to the 9th…..can we break what appears to be the longest losing streak in Rice baseball history?

Rheaume in to pitch the 9th:

Paints the outside corner for a K

Single into LF, so now the tying run coming to the plate

Line drive into LF, but thankfully right at Devenny

Cruz brings in Gallant to get the final out. Has he pitched at all this year?

Gallant induces the groundout!

The losing streak is over!

Good job sticking with them Swede Owl!

(04-10-2024 09:37 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  Good job sticking with them Swede Owl!

Thanks Swede and yay Owls! (Whew)