Aggies Take Down Rice, 13-4

Tuesday, March 20

Houston, Texas

6:30 p.m.

Texas A&M

18-4

Rice

9-14

Texas A&M

Rice

Mar 20, 2018 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score - A&M 13, Rice 4

HOUSTON, Texas – The No. 12 Texas A&M Aggies put up six runs in the fourth and four runs in the seventh to cruise to a 13-4 victory over the Rice Owls Tuesday evening at Reckling Park.

Texas A&M's hit parade was led by Michael Helman. The Aggie second baseman went 4-for-6 with one home run, two runs and three RBI and he extended his hit streak to 15 games. Will Frizzell, Hunter Coleman and Bine Schoenvogel each added two hits.

Aggie starter Chandler Jozwiak cruised through the first 5.0 innings, not yielding a run while scattering two hits. Rice finally got to him in the sixth with the first four batters recording hits. He exited the game with one out in the sixth, after recording his eighth strikeout of the game. For the game, Jozwiak allowed four runs on six hits while striking out eight in 5.1 innings. He equaled a career-high with his strikeout total and the 5.1 innings marked his longest outing.

Texas A&M improved to 18-4 on the season. The loss dropped Rice to 9-14.

SCORING SUMMARY
T1 | Helman extended his hit streak to 15 games with a one-out, solo home run over the leftfield fence. A&M 1, RICE 0.

T2 | Frizzell launched a leadoff home run to leftfield, his third dinger of the year. A&M 2, RICE 0.

T4 | Frizzell and Coleman led off the inning with singles and a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. Schoenvogel bounced a single up the middle to score Frizzell. A catcher's interference with Allonte Wingate at bat loaded the bases and Coleman and Schoenvogel scored on an error by Rice's second baseman on a grounder by Aaron Walters. Zach Esquivel spelled Rice starter Roel Garcia and induced a grounder to second by Zach DeLoach, knocking in Wingate. Helman singled up the middle and Braden Shewmake drew a walk to fill the bags with Ags. Walters scored on a wild pitch and Logan Foster knocked in Helman with a sacrifice fly. A&M 8, RICE 0.

B6 | The Owls started the frame with four hits, including a single by Bradley Gneitling, an RBI double by Ryan Chandler, a single by Trei Cruz and an RBI single by Braden Comeaux. Jozwiak fanned Ford Proctor before being spelled on the mound by Cason Sherrod. Sherrod induced a grounder to first by Andrew Dunlap and hit Justin Collins by a pitch to load the bases. Chace Sarchet singled to center to score two runs before Sherrod could record the last out of the frame. A&M 8, RICE 4.

T7 | The Aggies offered an immediate and equal response the next half inning. Coleman reached on an error to start the inning and with one out Wingate singled up the middle and Walters drew a walk to load the bases. DeLoach drew a walk to plate a run and Helman followed with a two-run single to rightfield. The cavalcade of runs was capped off by Shewmake's sacrifice fly. A&M 12, RICE 4.

T9 | The Aggies manufactured a run in the top of the ninth. Wingate was hit by a pitch to start the frame, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Walters gapped a single to left-center. A&M 13, RICE 4.

NEXT UP
The Aggies open up a three-game home series against the Ole Miss Rebels starting Thursday at 6:02 p.m. The game on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park will be televised nationally on the SEC Network.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Rob Childress
On the game...
"A big win for us tonight on the road against a good Rice team. We grabbed the lead early with a couple home runs early and (Chandler) Jozwiak was really, really good. We played amazing defense behind him and had a six-run inning. Just like that Rice put up four runs in the sixth to cut it to 8-4, but we answered right back with a four-spot of our own. I couldn't be more proud of our team tonight. We were extremely competitive with two strikes and played hard throughout."

On Michael Helman...
"He continues to have quality at-bat after quality at-bat. He's playing really good for us right now. He's the same guy each and every day. He prepares the right way and plays the right way. Usually guys who do that have success."

Junior 2B Michael Helman
On his day...
"I just try to stay with our team approach – look to the other side of the field. I had a slap hit the other way late in the game and we got two runs out of it. I'm trying to stay flat even though the wind was blowing out. Overall, we had great at-bats today. We're looking to carry that into this weekend."