HOUSTON — Bryan Arias scored the go-ahead run in the ninth and C.J. Pickering's double kept the scoring rally alive to help UTSA to a 10-6 victory at Rice on Friday night at Reckling Park.
Following a chaotic play in the bottom of the seventh that tied the score at five, UTSA (22-18, 10-9 C-USA) fought back in the top of the ninth, using a walk, base hit and a hit by pitch to load the bases with one out.
Chris Estrada then hit a ball to first and Rice attempted to throw the runner out at home but failed, as first baseman Darryn Sheppard sailed it over the catcher's head, which allowed Arias to score and give UTSA a 6-5 lead. Pickering then doubled down the first-base line to drive in a pair of insurance runs. Aldo Buendia followed with a sacrifice bunt that scored the fifth and final run of the inning, which gave UTSA a 10-5 advantage.
The Owls (16-26, 7-12 C-USA) strung along back-to-back base hits to start the bottom of the ninth but a double play slowed things down. An RBI double by Tristan Gray scored a run, but that would be all for Rice, as Pickering struck out pinch hitter Andrew Dunlap to secure the win.
Pickering earned the win in his three frames of work. He surrendered one run on four hits.
Rice reliever Glenn Otto was charged with the loss in his 1.2 innings of work. He allowed five runs on five hits.
UTSA outhit Rice, 14-9, with both teams committing one defensive miscue.
Tony Beam led UTSA with a 3-for-5 performance. Meanwhile, Trent Bowles went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, a double, home run and two runs scored. Jesse Baker and Kevin Markham each had two hits and scored twice.
Both teams scored early in the contest with UTSA plating three runs in the opening stanza and Rice adding four in the second. Zeros followed all the way until the seventh when the Roadrunners plated a pair of runs to take a lead, but it was short-lived, as the Owls scored in the home half to tie the game.
The two teams will return to the diamond at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
