SAN ANTONIO – Rice posted an 8-6 win over UTSA baseball in the series opener on Friday at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (15-16, 7-9 Conference USA) rallied from behind to take a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning but Rice scored three unanswered runs – all unearned – to post the comeback win.
The Roadrunners got a two-hit game from Joshua Lamb and Jonathan Tapia, with Griffin Paxton and Nick Thornquist each adding knocks.
UTSA starter Kyle Sonduck served as the opener, working an inning, allowing a pair of two-out hits and an unearned run. After the delay, UTSA turned to sophomore John Chomko in relief, with the righty working 2.2 innings, allowing five hits and four runs, walking two and striking out three. Shane Anderson came on in relief in the fourth, getting two outs before Luke Malone (2-2) made his 11th appearance of the year.
Malone worked 4.2 innings, allowing just a hit and two unearned runs, walking one and striking out two.
Rice (16-21-1, 4-12-1 C-USA) starter Roel Garcia did not get to pitch before the delay, with the Owls instead turning to Micah Davis to open the first inning, with Davis working two innings. Rice also used Drake Greenwood, Dalton Wood and Brandon Deskins (2-4) in relief. Deskins worked a strong outing, firing five innings to close the game, with seven strikeouts and four hits allowed.
The series will resume on Saturday with a pair of seven-inning games, starting at 2 p.m.
The Owls struck first in the top of the first inning, getting a two-out single from Bradley Gneiting and a double from Austin Bulman. Gneiting came around to score on a passed ball.
The Owls added on in the second inning, getting leadoff hits from Will Karp and Nathan Becker, with Karp moving to third with one out. Hal Hughes scored Karp with a sac fly to leftfield and Becker scored after a two-out RBI single through the left side from Cade Edwards.
UTSA cut into the lead in the bottom of the third inning, getting walks from Ian Bailey and Tapia. After a ground-ball double play erased the lead runner and the hitter, pushing Tapia to second, Dylan Rock and Thornquist loaded the bases. Chase Keng then forced home a run with a first-pitch hit by pitch and Rock motored home to score on a passed ball.
Rice got the runs back with homers on back-to-back pitches in the fourth, getting blasts from Becker, his third, and the second from Hughes.
The Roadrunners rallied in the bottom of the fourth to take their first lead of the game. Leyton Barry, Ryan Hunt and Bailey each led off with free passes, with Hunt getting hit by a pitch and Barry and Bailey drawing walks. Tapia followed with a double into the left-centerfield gap, scoring Barry and Hunt. Paxton then scored Bailey with a RBI groundout, pushing Tapia to third, with Tapia scoring on a wild pitch for a 6-5 UTSA lead.
The Owls evened up the game in the top of the fifth, getting a leadoff runner on via a catcher's interference, with the runner – Bulman – motoring to third on a single up the middle and scoring on a sac fly from Becker.
Rice took the lead back in the sixth, getting a leadoff single from Justin Dunlap to start the inning. Edwards then reached on a fielder's choice, with the throw to get the lead runner sailing into rightfield and allowing Dunlap and Edwards to move into scoring position. Rice then took the lead with RBI groundouts from Braden Comeaux and Gneiting to own an 8-6 lead.
GAME NOTES: Freshman RHP Kyle Sonduck made his first career start in his sixth career appearance … Junior RF Chase Keng was hit by his first pitch of the year and the fourth of his career … Sophomore RHP John Chomko worked in his ninth game of the year … Freshman RHP Shane Anderson worked in his third career game … Junior DH Ryan Hunt was hit by his fifth and sixth pitches of the year … Junior 3B Jonathan Tapia doubled for the third time on the year and the 12th time in his career … Junior CF Dyaln Rock stole his sixth base of the year and the 24th of his career … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton has an 18-game hitting streak, tied for the sixth-longest streak in school history.
- UTSA -
