HOUSTON – The rain held off at Reckling Park but the floodgates opened in the fifth inning.
Sam Houston committed three errors in the frame, allowing four Rice runners to score as the Bearkats fell 5-3 on Tuesday night, snapping the squad's season-high seven-game win streak.
The Bearkats (13-13) matched the Owls hit-for-hit with each squad recording nine on the night but miscues would not help the cause. Rice (15-9) capitalized on a dropped ball in right field, errant throw at shortstop and dropped ball at short, mixing in a trio of hits in the fifth.
“The line between winning and losing is razor thin,” second-year head coach Matt Deggs said. “It's very difficult to win at this level. You have to show up to play every single night and if you lose your focus and don't make the routine plays, it's going to be tough – especially against a good ball club.”
Despite a four-run deficit, the same margin the Bearkats overcame in Monday's victory against Texas State, the squad had its chances, stranding nine runners on the night including six between the sixth and eighth innings.
Redshirt junior Lance Miles led off the sixth with a single and moved to third on a one-out wall-ball double from Hunter Hearn to left. Then, Matt Broadbent lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, making it 5-2.
One inning later, Miles recorded a ground-rule double down the right-field line, his fourth multi-hit performance of the season, scoring Spence Rahm who opening the inning with a walk. After Zach Smith walked to load the bases, placing the tying run on second, a putout at second base ended any further damage.
“He's a battler and a guy that will make you work,” Deggs said of Miles. “He's very tough to put away. He is a contact guy and I think he has been swinging the bat really well. That was a huge double and it was unfortunate it bounced out of the ballpark there.”
Making his first career start, Colin Cameron tossed three effective innings, allowing four hits and one earned run while walking a pair and striking out one. The freshman, who owns a team low 1.64 ERA, had the Bearkats in contention, exiting with a 1-1 tie.
“I thought he did a good job of throwing strikes and commanding his fastball to both sides of the plate,” Deggs said. “He really set a pretty good tone for us. I was proud of him to get through three innings like that.”
Junior Cody Brown (0-3) drew the loss for the Bearkats, allowing four hits and two earned runs in two innings. Senior Hayden Nixon was once again sharp in relief, permitting just one hit in the final three innings while striking out one.
Rice starter Willy Amador (2-0) picked up the victory, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out five in as many innings. The Owls' Dane Myers picked up his second save, logging the final 2 1-3 innings, striking out four without allowing a baserunner.a
Sam Houston returns to Don Sanders Stadium this weekend, opening a six-game home stand against Central Arkansas. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. with Saturday's middle game at 3 p.m. and Sunday's finale slated for 1 o'clock. The Kats have won five straight Southland games.
