March 9, 2012
STANFORD, Calif.-- Justin Ringo blasted a first pitch fastball leading No.2-ranked Stanford (12-1) to a 4-2 win over No. 4-ranked Rice (12-3) in 10 innings on Friday night.
Tyler Duffey (0-1) was the loser, walking Tyler Gaffney with one out, before Ringo's second home run against Rice in two seasons, snapped a 2-2 tie.
David Schmidt (2-0) meanwhile, finished off a five-hitter against the Owls, as the righthander pitched a perfect tenth after Mark Appel struck out 14 over the first 9.0 innings.
Appel set his second career-high in as many weeks, finishing his night by striking out the side. He retired the final 11 men he faced and 12 earlier in the night. Appel set down the Owls in order in six of his nine innings.
Appel on his 100th pitch registered his tenth strikeout after mowing the Owls down in the early innings. JT Chargois had a two-run single in the first to give Rice a 2-0 lead, before Appel set down 12 in a row into the fifth. Appel tossed 125 pitches of which 84 were strikes.
Starter Matthew Reckling was the first to exit, going the first 6.0 innings for Rice, giving up two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts. Stanford had a chance to score in the sixth, putting runners on the corners with two out. Reckling though struck out Eric Smith to keep it at 2-2.
After Chargois' two-run first inning RBI, a Reckling wild pitch and a groundout tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third.
NOTES: Ringo was making his first start in left... starters Reckling and Appel were in the same Houston area Post Oak Little League, a year apart and on the same Cape Cod League team, Yarmouth-Dennis, this past summer.. Said Cary Gary the manager of the Post Oak All-Star team "It was a big league and they were the 10 or 12 best players in the league"... Appel made a nice play off the mound on a bunt base hit attempt in the fourth by JT Chargois... Tyler Gaffney was in the leadoff spot for the first time tonight with centerfielder Jake Stewart day-to-day... Saturday's game is at 1 p.m. and Sunday's game is at noon (remember to turn forward your clocks!).