The University of Nevada baseball team (11-10, 0-2 in the Western Athletic Conference) dropped its second game in a row to 14th ranked Rice (18-8, 2-3 in the WAC), falling 14-6.
One highlight came for Nevada when Dayton's Matt Bowman, a freshman, went 1-for-1 with a run and an RBI after picking up a pinch-hit, RBI single in the ninth innin.
The game started as a pitchers dual as both teams were held scoreless until the Owls put four runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Rice left fielder Adam Hale drilled a three-run homer off Pack starter Ryan Rodriguez. Owls catcher Danny Lehmann hit a solo shot in the inning off reliever Steve Taylor to make the score 4-0.
In the seventh inning the Owls hit three home runs that plated five runs in the inning to make the score 9-0. Two more homers in the eighth inning helped score five runs and the Owls led 14-0.
The Pack got all six of their runs in the top of the ninthon four hits. Jacob Butler, Terry Walsh, Matt Bowman, and Eric Newman delivered RBI hits in the inning.
Rodriguez (5-2) had his five game win streak snapped allowing three runs on seven hits in 5.1 innings on the mound. Eddie Degerman (2-0) surrendered just two hits in 6.1 innings on the mound and struck out a career high nine in the game to get the win and improve to 2-0.
Eight different Pack batters collected a hit in the game. Rice was led by Lance Pendleton (4-for-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI) and Hale (2-for-4, 3 runs, 6 RBI). Hale and Lehmann hit two home runs each while Tyler Henly, Josh Rodriguez and Pendleton also hit home runs in the game.
The series finale is scheduled for 11 a.m. today at Reckling Park in Houston.
