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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- WKU's hot streak was cooled by the dominant pitching of No. 16 Rice Friday at Nick Denes Field as the Owls struck the Hilltoppers out 27 times in a double-header sweep. Rice clinched the series with 11-4 and 3-2 victories behind quality efforts from starters Jordan Stephens and Kevin McCanna.
McCanna fanned 11 Hilltoppers (21-19, 9-11 C-USA) and did not surrender an earned run in seven innings of five-hit baseball during a game two victory while Stephens worked behind an offensive outburst in game one.
The Owls (28-16, 16-7 C-USA) racked up 24 hits and hit .348 collectively in the double-header while the Hilltoppers were limited to 14 hits with a .215 composite clip. WKU had plenty of scoring chances in both contests but it stranded 14 runners and batted 2-for-24 (.083) with runners in scoring position.
Senior first baseman Ryan Church continued his hot streak at the plate with three hits, two doubles and an RBI to lead a WKU offense that was tamed. WKU had won five of its last six games prior to its two losses Friday and it will look to get back on track in Sunday's finale.
Game two's loss spoiled a tremendous performance from WKU senior Brennan Pearson, who worked a career-high 5.2 scoreless innings with a career-best six strikeouts out of the bullpen.
Complete recaps of both games can be found below.
WKU aims to salvage the series Sunday at Nick Denes Field as it hosts Rice in the finale at noon. Neither team has decided on a starting pitcher. American Sports Network will broadcast the game with Dave Armstrong and Keith Moreland on the call. WKU PBS will carry the game locally.
Sunday is Fun Day at The Nick as all children ages 12 and under receive free admission. The Party 1 Inflatable Fun Zone will be set up behind the third-base dugout and kids can run the bases following the finale. Sunday is also Big Red's Rascals Ballpark Takeover as members of the club will have an opportunity to assist in various game operational duties ranging from public address to field maintenance with players and coaches.
No. 16 Rice 11, WKU 4 (Game 1) - PDF
Rice capitalized on early Hilltopper miscues and continually delivered in situational hitting to claim the series opener, 11-4.
WKU jumped on the No. 16 Owls in the first inning as junior outfielder Anderson Miller and junior third baseman Danny Hudzina led off the game with a single and a triple to put WKU runners in scoring position out of the gate. Church put WKU ahead 1-0 with an RBI groundout but Hudzina was stranded at third to end the inning.
Rice answered right back in the top of the second with some two-out execution. WKU starter John Harman surrendered a two-out single to outfielder Charlie Warren and issued a walk to Grayson Lewis to set up Rice's go-ahead inning. A wild pitch from Harman moved both runners into scoring position and shortstop Leon Byrd pushed the Owls ahead for good with a two-run single to make the count 2-1 in Rice's favor.
Harman worked scoreless third and fourth innings to keep the Tops within a run but Rice exploded for five runs in the fifth inning to put WKU in a 7-1 hole. Wild pitches haunted WKU in the inning as two errant throws resulted in two of Rice's scores. Catcher Hunter Kopycinski, designated hitter John Clay Reeves and outfielder John Williamson also drove in three runs during the decisive frame.
WKU countered with two runs of its own in the fifth inning as an RBI triple from redshirt sophomore second baseman Leiff Clarkson and an RBI groundout from Hudzina brought WKU within 7-3. The Owls extend their lead back to five with a sacrifice fly from second baseman Ford Stainback in the seventh inning.
Senior shortstop Cody Wofford plated Church in the eighth inning to cut the Rice lead to 8-4 but the Owls answered with three more runs for their final margin of victory.
The Hilltoppers touched Rice starter Jordan Stephens for three runs on five hits, but only one run was earned and he struck out seven batters in his fifth win. Owl relievers Matt Ditman and Glenn Otto combined to work the final four innings and allowed just two hits while striking out four. Harman suffered his third loss of the year despite giving up three hits in 4.1 innings. Five walks and three wild pitches doomed the lefty.
Church was the lone Hilltopper to record multiple hits in the game as he finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double. Williamson and Reeves teamed for five RBI to lead Rice.
No. 16 Rice 3, WKU 2 (Game 2) - PDF
Kevin McCanna struck out 11 Hilltoppers and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning in the best performance by an opposing pitcher against WKU this season. WKU was able to tally five hits on McCanna in the middle innings but his slider overwhelmed the Hilltopper bats in his quality start.
The Hilltoppers loaded the bases against McCanna with no outs in both the sixth and seventh innings but two double-play balls and two strikeouts resulted in WKU scoring just one run.
Rice tallied nine hits in less than four innings on WKU starter Austin King and chased him in the fourth after jumping out to a 3-0. The Tops turned to senior reliever Brennan Pearson in long relief for the second-straight week and he once again delivered a gem. Pearson worked a career-high 5.2 innings, struck out a career-high six batters and held the hot-hitting Owls scoreless to keep WKU within striking distance.
Back-to-back singles from Miller and Hudzina in the sixth inning was the first time all game WKU was able to put a runner into scoring position. A fielding error by Stainback allowed Hudzina to reach second safely and put Church on first base to load the bases with no outs. Sophomore designated hitter Harrison Scanlon rolled into a double play that scored Miller from third base to cut the Rice lead to 3-1, but the WKU threat was erased.
Senior outfielder Philip Diedrick started WKU's seventh inning with his seventh double of the year, sophomore outfielder Paul Murray walked and sophomore catcher Ty Hogan laid down a bunt single to load the bases once again for the Tops. McCanna worked his way out of the jam again by striking out Clarkson and rolling Miller into an inning-ending double play.
The Tops continued to fight in the eighth inning as Church doubled and came around to score on a sharply hit single to left field by Wofford. Wofford stood on second base representing the tying run with WKU trailing 3-2, but he was stranded in scoring position as Diedrick struck out to end the inning.
Austin Orewiler didn't allow WKU to make things interesting in the ninth inning as he struck out the Hilltopper side to earn his second save and preserve Rice's double-header sweep. The Hilltoppers wound up stranding four runners in scoring position over the final three innings of the tight contest.
King fell to 1-5 on the year while McCanna improved to 5-3 after his quality performance. Thanks to Pearson's stellar performance out of the bullpen, WKU limited Rice to three runs despite its 14 hits.
Hogan had his second-career two-hit day and broke up McCanna's no-hit bid in the fifth inning to lead the WKU offense.
