Tuesday, May 20
Clearwater, FL
11:53
Rice University
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UTSA
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Photo by: The American Conference
Late UTSA Rally Foils Owls
5/20/2025 5:00:00 PM | Baseball
Rice faces FAU in elimination game on Wednesday
Clearwater, FL: Davion Hickson held UTSA's potent offense in check for seven innings, but the Roadrunners ended Rice's hopes for an opening round upset by scoring three times in the eighth as the top-seeded Roadrunners won 4-2 on Tuesday.
How it Happened: UTSA took a 1-0 lead in the first off of Hickson, but the junior righthander shut the Roadrunners down over the next six innings while his Owls' teammates scratched out a pair of runs off UTSA starter Braylon Owens. The Owls were held hitless through the first three innings before Landon West opened the fourth with a single. In the fifth Cole Green led off with a walk and moved to third on a sac bunt by Tobias Motely and a throwing error. Colin Robson followed with another sacrifice to bring Green home and tie the game. After Hickson set UTSA down in order in the bottom of the fifth, Rice manufactured a second run to take the lead. Hiram Bocachica Jr. worked a one-out walk and moved into scoring position with his 14th steal of the season. One out later, Paul Smith punched single up the middle to bring home Bocachica and end Owens' day on the mound. Hickson fought off challenges by UTSA in the sixth and seventh inning, including a one-out double in the seventh, but the Roadrunners finally broke through with a two-run double with one out in the eighth and added an RBI single for their final margin of victory.
Up Next: Rice and FAU will meet at noon (central) on Wednesday to determine which set of Owls will continue their season in the tournament. J.D. McCracken is slated to start for Rice.
otes
How it Happened: UTSA took a 1-0 lead in the first off of Hickson, but the junior righthander shut the Roadrunners down over the next six innings while his Owls' teammates scratched out a pair of runs off UTSA starter Braylon Owens. The Owls were held hitless through the first three innings before Landon West opened the fourth with a single. In the fifth Cole Green led off with a walk and moved to third on a sac bunt by Tobias Motely and a throwing error. Colin Robson followed with another sacrifice to bring Green home and tie the game. After Hickson set UTSA down in order in the bottom of the fifth, Rice manufactured a second run to take the lead. Hiram Bocachica Jr. worked a one-out walk and moved into scoring position with his 14th steal of the season. One out later, Paul Smith punched single up the middle to bring home Bocachica and end Owens' day on the mound. Hickson fought off challenges by UTSA in the sixth and seventh inning, including a one-out double in the seventh, but the Roadrunners finally broke through with a two-run double with one out in the eighth and added an RBI single for their final margin of victory.
Up Next: Rice and FAU will meet at noon (central) on Wednesday to determine which set of Owls will continue their season in the tournament. J.D. McCracken is slated to start for Rice.
otes
- Rice fell to 30-25 all-time against UTSA and 1-3 all-time at the AAC Championship.
- Rice and FAU have met six times in postseason action (all at the C-USA Championship), with Rice winning the first three and FAU the last three.
- Two of Rice's three wins came in 2017 on the way to the school's last C-USA tournament title, while FAU's two wins in 2018 were the final games in Wayne Graham's Hall of Fame career at Rice.
- Hickson fanned seven to increase his career-best total to 90, the most by an Owl since Matt Canterino fanned 121 in 2019.
- He did not walk a batter for the second consecutive start and did not walk a batter in his last 17.2 innings.
- West's single extended his hitting streak to six games (.435, 10x23, with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI).
- Bocachica's stolen base was his 14th of the year, the most by an Owl since Anthony Rendon had 14 in 2009.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Robert Orloski (8-0)
L: Hickson, Davion (2-7)
Batting:
RBI: Robson, Colin 1 ; Smith , Paul 1
SH: Robson, Colin 1 ; Motley, Tobias 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bocachica Jr., Hiram 1 ; Green, Cole 1
SB: Brown , Blaine 1 ; Bocachica Jr., Hiram 1
Batting:
2B: James Taussig 1 ; Drew Detlefsen 1
HR: Mason Lytle 1
RBI: Mason Lytle 1 ; James Taussig 2 ; Norris McClure 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Caden Miller 1 ; Mason Lytle 2 ; James Taussig 1
CS: Mason Lytle 1
HBP: Caden Miller 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
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1b
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H
1
RBI
1
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3
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H
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RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
0
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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