Robson and Smith Power RIce Past Harvard

Friday, February 27

Reckling Park

6:35 pm

Rice University

4-6

Harvard

0-4

Harvard

Rice

Photo by: Karen Warren | Rice Athletics

2/27/2026 10:45:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Owls look to clinch series on Saturday

By: by Chuck Pool (cpool@rice.edu)

Houston- Colin Robson keyed a Rice offensive explosion with a career-high four hits, including his third career leadoff home run, while Paul Smith added a pair of homers to lead the Owls to an 11-7 win over Harvard in the opening game of a three-game series on Friday night.

How it Happened: After starter Brayden Sharp set the Crimson down in order in the first, Robson and the Owls exploded from the gate with four runs. Robson, who came into the game with one hit in his last 14 at-bats, lined the second pitch he saw over the left field wall. Two batters later, Smith slammed the first of two home runs, a 404-foot shot to center to double the lead, and then, with two away, Cole Green completed the Owls' tour around the outfield with a homer, smashing a solo shot to left. It marked the first time since 2019 that the Owls have hit three home runs in an inning. Rice added four runs in the second to build the lead to 7-0, as Smith drew a bases-loaded walk, Mason Ashlock was hit by a pitch, and Green slapped a two-run single to center. After Harvard cut the margin to 7-3 in the top of the third, Rice responded with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning. Smith pushed the lead to 10-3 with his second homer of the night in the bottom of the seventh, but the Crimson rallied to bring the tying run to the plate with one out in the top of the eighth. Marco Fuentes came on to record a strikeout and then a flyout after allowing an additional run. Hiram Bocachica Jr. added the Owls' last run of the night, leading off the bottom of the eighth with a single, stealing second, moving third on a sac bunt by Jacob Devenny, and scoring on a passed ball. Fuentes closed out his first career save with a nine-pitch ninth inning.

Next Up: The series continues on Saturday at 4:05 and wraps up on Sunday at 12:05.

Notes

Rice improved to 4-6 on the season, 4-3 at home, 3-1 on Fridays and 9-3 vs. Harvard.
The Owls' four wins in February are their most in the season's opening month since they were 7-5 in 2015.
Rice has scored seven runs in the first innings in the last two games after going scoreless in the opening inning in seven straight games since scoring two on Opening Day.
Rice has 13 home runs in seven home games this year.
Sharp improved to 2-1 while allowing two runs in five innings, striking out six.
Robson's leadoff home run was the third of his career and his second this season. Rice is 3-0 when he leads off a game with a home run.
In addition to a career-high four hits, he tied his career best with three runs.
Smith hit two home runs in a game for the first time and is the second Owl to hit two in a game this season (JC Davis).
He tied his career-high with three runs.
JC Davis drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 10 games.
Fuentes is the fourth Owl to earn a save in the first month of the season (Ethan Sanders, Ty Thames, Tanner Wiggins).