SAN ANTONIO — Rice erased 4-3 ninth-inning deficit with six runs and the Owls defeated UTSA by a score of 9-4 on Friday at Roadrunner Field.
The Conference USA opener for both teams featured plenty of pitching changes with both squads using the same amount of arms and a run total that flipped several times through the first three innings of action.
Rice (9-8) took the early lead with single runs in the first and second innings.
UTSA (9-8) then struck in the bottom of the second to cut the Owls’ lead in half.
Jason Serchay led off with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a Mason George’s single. Ryan Stacy picked up the RBI after laceing a ball up the middle on batter later.
Rice added another run in the third to take a 3-1 lead, but the Roadrunners answered back in the home half with a run of their own when Skyler Valentine doubled to lead off the inning and crossed home plate on a Trent Bowles RBI single.
Both teams traded goose eggs through the next three innings before UTSA pushed across a pair of runs in the seventh for a 4-3 lead.
George's third hit of the day, a single to right, got things started and he made his way to third on a throwing error by Dan Myers that sailed into right field. Ben Brookover, who pinch hit for Serchay, scored the first run of the inning and was followed by Bowles on the same play.
The Roadrunners bullpen held off the Owls through five innings before the team surrendered six runs in the ninth on four hits and one error. Rice batted around in the inning and forced two pitching changes during the frame.
Andre Shewcraft pitched into the ninth and was charged with three of Rice’s six runs for the loss.
Owls closer Willy Amador earned his first win of the season in his two innings of work. Amador scattered three hits and recorded two strikeouts.
Four players registered multiple-hit games for UTSA with George going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Meanwhile, Valentine, Serchay and Stacy had two hits apiece.
Saturday's second game is scheduled for 2 p.m.