Tulane cruises past Rice to clinch series

HOUSTON – Tulane starting pitcher Chandler Welch allowed just one run over eight innings and the offense supplied more than enough offense as the Green Wave won 10-1 at Rice Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park.

Tulane (15-8, 2-0 AAC), by virtue of its win, clinched the program’s first-ever regular season series victory over Rice. The Owls dropped to 8-15 and 0-2 in the league.

Welch (3-0) scattered seven hits and one walk during his outing to go with five strikeouts. Carter Benbrook came on in the ninth and hurled a clean frame to close out the game.

Owls starter J.D. McCracken (2-2) took the loss after surrendering three unearned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and four walks.

Coming off a game where Tulane blasted five homers in a 14-7 extra inning romp on Friday, the team didn’t need long balls to get to double digits on Saturday. Third baseman Gavin Schulz went 3-for-5 with two RBI, while catcher Colin Tuft, first baseman Brady Marget, center fielder Teo Banks and second baseman Michael Lombardi all posted two hits. Banks scored three times.

Tuft and Schulz each doubled twice.

Rice shortstop Jack Riedel went 3-for-4, homering in the fifth inning for the team’s only tally.

Tulane’s big inning came in the eighth when it put up five runs. Designated hitter Tracy Mitchem drew his second bases loaded walk in as many games to get the inning started. Second baseman Connor Rasmussen and Tuft then followed with two-RBI hits and Adam Ebling got Tulane to 10 with a sharp, run-scoring single to right in the top of the ninth.

Rice struggled in the field for much of the game, committing five errors.

The Green Wave stranded 16 runners compared to eight for Rice.

In the first two games of the series, Tulane has had a runner reach base in 19 of the 20 innings (the exception being the first frame of Friday’s game).

The series finale will be Sunday at 1 p.m.

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