Rice Baseball was swept by UTSA in its final regular season series, but still managed to punch its ticket to the AAC Tournament.
THURSDAY | UTSA 15, Rice 7
Rice baseball couldn’t have asked for a better start in the series opener. Even without Davion Hickson on the mound, the Owls ambushed UTSA starter Zach Royse, battering him for seven runs in the first four innings on three home runs, one apiece from Landon West, Paul Smith and Cole Green.
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Despite being spotted a 7-0 lead, the Rice pitching staff couldn’t hold up their end of the bargain. UTSA tied the game with a seven-run fifth despite registering just two hits in the inning. Five free passes buoyed their cause. With the score tied, UTSA went on the offensive. The Roadrunners scored eight in the next two frames, crushing the Owls’ bullpen, which nearly allowed the team to be run-ruled despite the strong start.
FRIDAY | UTSA 11, Rice 4
The Roadrunners’ offensive outburst continued into the second game of the series with a five-run first against Owls’ pitcher JD McCracken, who did himself no favors with three walks and a hit batter in the inning. Rice punched back with three runs in the second, including a homer from Landon West, but the two-run deficit was as close as they would be for the remainder of the contest.
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UTSA added two more in the third, two in the fifth and single insurance runs in the sixth and eighth, tallying 11 total runs in the eight innings they came to the plate. Rice would manage just one other score in their final seven innings, an RBI single from Michael Zito in the fifth.
SATURDAY | USTA 7, Rice 0
A bullpen game for the Owls ended most predictably. Caleb Williams made his first start of the season, giving up two runs in 1.2 innings of work. He ceded the mound to Ethan Atchley and then the carousel of relivers was off to the races. UTSA scored a single run in each of the first four innings, then put up two in the sixth and one more in the seventh. Seven runs proved more than enough against a dormant Rice offense.
The Owls wouldn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning, a double from Landon West, and while he moved to third on the ensuing groundout, did not score. Rice would accrue just four hits on the day, getting shut out in their final game of the regular season.
THREE FOR THE ROAD
