Rice wins at Whataburger College Classic
Rice, behind the hitting of second baseman Aaron Luna and shortstop Brian Friday, beat No. 23 TCU, 20-6, while Texas Tech topped the homestanding Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 9-4.
The Owls (12-7) banged out four runs in the fifth to grab the lead for good, thanks in large measure to Luna's towering three-run homer to the berm in left. Up 7-6 entering the home seventh, Rice blew the game wide-open with a 12-run outburst. Friday keyed the onslaught with a three-run double.
Luna finished the evening 3-for-4 with four runs scored and five RBIs. Friday and left fielder Jordan Dodson each delivered two hits and four RBIs.
Senior Scott Lonergan (3-0) earned the victory for Rice, stringing together 3 1/3 innings of solid relief. He allowed two runs on two hits and struck out seven.
Jake Arrieta (3-2), TCU's starter, suffered the loss, charged with six runs on five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings. He was lifted with the Horned Frogs ahead, 4-3, with two outs in the fifth and the bases loaded. A wild pitch by reliever Seth Garrison and Luna's three-run blast sealed Arrieta's fate.
Sophomore designated hitter Matt McGuirk kicked off the scoring for TCU (10-5) in the second, blasting his third home run of the season, a two-run shot beyond the berm in right. Third baseman Steven Trout also knocked in two runs for the Horned Frogs.
In the opening game of the tournament, the Red Raiders posted a four-spot in the bottom of the fourth and coasted to the 9-4 triumph. An RBI double to the gap in left-center by left fielder Geoff Byrns and a two-run single to right off the bat of second baseman Joey Kenworthy highlighted the four-run frame, which gave Tech a 5-2 lead.
Starter A.J. Ramos (5-1) limited the Islanders to two runs over six innings while striking out eight to get the win. He leads the Big 12 Conference with 41 strikeouts. Travis Young worked the final three frames to collect his first save for the men from Lubbock, who improve to 14-6.
Junior left fielder Chase Wheaton paced the Islander offense with a 2-for-4 effort that included a double, two runs scored and an RBI. Catcher Josh Plumaj and third baseman Martin Parra added two hits each for the Islanders, who drop to 12-7.
Friday's attendance at Whataburger Field totaled 5,502, the best single-day attendance in the two-year history of the tournament.
Two more games dot the slate Saturday at Whataburger Field. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi battles TCU at 3 p.m., while Texas Tech tangles with Rice at 7 p.m.