Published: May 07, 2008 10:34 am            

Bobcats fall at No. 5 Rice

College Baseball

Houston — Texas State suffered its fifth consecutive loss, falling to fifth-ranked Rice Tuesday night at Rice’s Reckling Field.

Texas State’s Brian Borski got his first collegiate start on the mound for the Bobcats, and the freshman right-hander held the Owls scoreless for three innings.

But the Owls took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Diego Seastrunk and Aaron Luna led off with back-to-back singles and a walk to Adam Zornes loaded the bases. Seastrunk scored on a ground out to the left side as Luna scored thanks to Chad Mozingo’s RBI single.

The Owls added another run in the next inning when Jared Gayheart walked, and scored on a one-out double to right-center field by J.D. Padron.

The Bobcats posted their only run of the game in the sixth inning when Laurn Randell dropped a single over the shortstop and Paul Goldschmidt drew a walk. Lance Loftine moved the runners over on a sacrifice bunt, as Elliott Babcock drove in Randell on a groundout to trim the Owls’ lead to 3-1.

The Bobcats would get no closer, as Rice took a 5-1 lead when Gayheart connected for a 2-run homer off Bobcat reliever Aaron Taylor in the seventh. The Owls tacked on four more runs to quell all hopes of an upset.

Texas State walked away with five hits, half of Rice’s total for the evening. Thomas Field, Randell and Loftin ended the night with 1-for-3 showings at the plate.

Owl pitchers Bryan Price, Lucas Luetge and Chris Kelley combined to hold Texas State to just a run on five singles.

Borski took the loss for Texas State, giving up four hits and two runs in four inning with two strikeouts and two walks.

Texas State fell to 24-23 with the loss and has now dropped nine of its last 10 games. The Bobcats will try to get back on the winning track Friday when the team opens a three-game Southland Conference series at McNeese State.

Rice improved to 35-11 on the season.

        

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