Owls Walk Off Saint Mary's to Open Arizona Slate

Friday, March 13

Phoenix, Arizona

3 PM

Rice University

10-8

Saint Mary's

10-7

Saint Mary's

Rice

Owls Walk Off Saint Mary's to Open Arizona Slate

3/13/2026 7:28:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Boehm's single caps comeback.

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

Phoenix, AZ- Garet Boehm's one-out single in the bottom of the ninth capped a furious late rally by Rice and gave the Owls a 6-5 win over Saint Mary's in Phoenix, Arizona, on Friday afternoon.

How it Happened: First-time starter Tanner Wiggins held the potent Gaels offense off the scoreboard despite seven hits in the first four innings but gave up solo runs in the fifth and sixth. At the same time, SMC starter John Damozonio held Rice hitless until Hiram Bocachica's two-out double in the bottom of the fifth. The Owls finally solved Damozonio in the sixth, packaging three straight hits to tie the game 2-2 on Mason Ashlock's two-run double. Saint Mary's exploded for three runs in the top of the eighth but Rice had an immediate answer in its half of the inning. Paul Smith led off with a walk, and Boehm followed with a single. One out later, Kutter-Gage Webb brought in Smith with a single, and Boehm scored, and Webb moved to third on a sacrifice fly by Lorenzo Rios. Freshman Masa Chilcutt tied the game with a single on a 3-1 pitch. Jax Traeger set the stage for a walkoff in the ninth by retiring SMC in order for the first time in the game. Pinch hitter Landon West opened with a walk and was replaced by Daigre who moved to second on a sac bunt by Cole Green. Smith was intentionally walked to set up a double play, but Boehm wasted no time for any further drama, lining the first pitch he saw into left center for the game-winner.

Next Up: Rice will be back in action Brazell Field at 8 p.m., facing Grand Canyon.
Notes

Rice improved to 10-8 on the season, 4-5 on the road, and 5-1 on Fridays, 4-1 in series openers, and 4-1 at Brazell Field.
Rice reached double figures in 18 games, the earliest in a season it has done so since the Owls were 10-8 in 2021.
Wiggins worked 6.1 innings in his first career start, the longest by an Owl this year in a series-opener.
Ashlock has hit in six of his last seven (.300, 6x20).