Tenth-inning blast sinks Pirates

From electronic and staff reports
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Craig Manuel wasn't a starter in Rice's game against East Carolina on Saturday. Instead, he was a finisher.

The senior catcher, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 6th inning, swatted a grand slam in the bottom of the 10th to give the Owls a 6-2 victory before an announced crowd of 3,665 at Reckling Park.

Combined with Friday's 2-0 win over the Pirates (26-13-1 Conference USA, 8-5-1), the outcome clinched the weekend series for Rice (30-11, 11-3) and kept the Owls apace with co-leader Central Florida (33-8, 11-3) in the league standings.

J.T. Chargois (3-1), who started the game at first base, got the win after switching to the mound in the 9th and hurling two innings of shutout relief. The junior righthander fanned three and gave up only one hit. A switch-hitter, Chargois helped his cause at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and scoring on Manuel's decisive homer after leading off the 10th with a single.

Tanner Merritt (2-3) took over for East Carolina starter Tyler Joyner in the 6th and absorbed the defeat. In addition to Manuel's grand slam, Merritt served up a round-tripper to sophomore third baseman Shane Hoelscher in the 8th that erased a 2-1 ECU lead. The sophomore righthander struck out two and gave up five runs, four earned, on five hits, two walks and a hit batsman over 3 1/3 innings.

Before giving way to Merritt, Joyner struck out four and surrendered one run on five hits with no walks and one hit batsman in 5 2/3 innings.

The Pirates grabbed a 1-0 lead in first when sophomore designated hitter Drew Reynolds singled to center and junior first baseman John Wooten drove him home with a double.

Rice answered by scratching out a run in the bottom of the third. Christian Stringer led off with a double to center, moved to third on an infield out and charged to the plate on a sacrifice fly by Chargois.

East Carolina reestablished a one-run lead in the top of the 8th. Wooten led off with a single to left, took second on a sacrifice bunt by junior outfielder Jay Cannon and advanced to third on a single up the middle by senior catcher Zach Wright. Wooten then scored on a single by junior outfielder Philip Clark.

But the lead lasted only until Hoelscher's game-tying homer in the bottom of the inning.

In the Rice half of the 10th, the stage was set for the dramatic ending when the first three batters reached safely. After Chargois led off the frame with a single up the middle, junior outfielder Jeremy Rathjen got to first when his fielder's choice bunt was misplayed by Merritt, allowing Chargois to to take second. Both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch, opening up a spot at first for Hoelscher, who was intentionally walked. Manuel then stepped to the plate and launched his homer to right field.

The teams wrap up their series on Sunday (12 p.m.)

PAGE UPDATED 04/22/12 03:00 AM.

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