April 5, 2008
Box Score
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -
No. 12 Rice (21-10; 5-2 C-USA) 000 120 000 - 3 10 2
Memphis (11-17; 3-4 C-USA) 000 000 000 - 0 0 0
No. 12 Rice 3, Memphis 0 
Ryan Berry tossed a complete-game shutout in the opener and Chris Kelley held the Tigers scoreless through six innings in the night cap as #12 Rice swept Memphis 3-0 and 7-1 in the C-USA doubleheader on Saturday. The losses extend Memphis' current losing streak to eight games.
In the opener, Berry no-hit the Tigers through 5.2 innings before Chad Zurcher reached on a two-out single. The sophomore right-hander limited Memphis to just three hits and struck out nine to improve to 4-2 on the year. Memphis starter Scott McGregor was the hard luck loser, giving up just three runs in a solid outing. McGregor scattered eight hits and stuck out four in seven innings before handing the ball over to Garrett Hachtel. Hachtel held Rice scoreless over the last two innings.
Rice broke through on the scoring column in the fourth inning on an RBI single by J.P. Padron. They extended the league to 3-0 in the fifth on a sac fly by Aaron Luna and a RBI single to right field by Adam Zornes. Those three runs would hold up for the Owls as just Tigers advanced as far as second base.
Zurcher, Cole Shelton, and K.K. Chalmers were the lone Tigers to reach successfully. Zurcher's hit in the sixth extended his hitting streak to 17 games.
No. 12 Rice (22-10; 6-2 C-USA) 201 031 000 - 7 10 0
Memphis (11-18; 3-5 C-USA) 000 000 100 - 1 8 1
No. 12 Rice 7, Memphis 1
The Owls picked up where they left off behind the arm of Kelley who gave up seven hits and struck out five. Memphis was never able to solve the right hander as the team extended its streak of scoreless innings to 23 before Chad Zurcher's bases-loaded groundout scored Eric Farrell to end Rice's shutout bid.
Memphis got its leadoff hitter on base six of the nine innings but could never convert on route to leaving five runners in scoring position for the game. Trey Weidman led the Tigers with a 2-for-4 effort tonight.
Rice jumped on Memphis starter, Will Hudgens, early striking for two runs on three hits in the opening stanza. Leadoff hitter Luna started the game with a double to right centerfield and Jared Gayhart followed with a walk. Zornes reached on a bunt single to load the bases, setting up an RBI single by Diego Seastruck for a 1-0 Owl lead. Rick Hague then lifted a sac fly to right field to bring Gayhart in.
Gayhart scored his second run of the game on a single by Hague in the third as the Owls increased their lead to 3-0. A pair of fifth inning walks to Zornes and Hague chased Hudgens from the game in favor of Neil Schenk. Pinch hitter Jordan Dodson greeted Schenk rudely, driving a two-run double off the leftfield wall. He would eventually come around to score on a single by Jess Buenger to put the game away at 6-0.
The Owls would tack on another run before the Tigers could get on the board for the 7-1 final.
Hudgens took the loss giving up five runs on five hits in 4.2 innings. He struck out seven. Schenk gave up two runs on five hits before handing the ball over to Philip Utley, who closed the game out with two scoreless innings of work.
The Tigers and Owls will wrap up the season series on Sunday. First pitch is set for noon at Nat Buring Stadium.
