Rice University’s baseball team secured its fifth consecutive win by defeating Sam Houston 5-3 at Reckling Park on April 15. The victory was highlighted by a three-run home run from Kutter-Gage Webb, which gave relief pitcher Ethan Atchley the lead he needed to keep the Bearkats at bay.
The game began with Rice taking an early lead as Paul Smith singled home Cole Green in the first inning. However, Sam Houston responded with three runs in the third inning off starter Ty Baker, briefly moving ahead. In the bottom of the third, Webb hit his first home run since Opening Day, driving in three runs and putting Rice back on top.
Atchley replaced Baker in the fourth inning and delivered a strong performance, allowing only two Bearkats to reach base over four innings while striking out a career-high seven batters. Jackson Blank pitched the final two innings and earned his first save of the season by striking out Dean Easton with runners on base.
With this win, Rice improved its record to 24-14 for the season and has now won nine of its last eleven games. The team also boasts a strong record when scoring early or hitting home runs, having gone 14-1 when scoring in the first inning and 15-2 when homering during a game this season. Head Coach David Pierce is now even at 37 wins and 37 losses since taking over after 21 games in 2025.
The Owls’ next series will be against Memphis as they return to American Conference play starting Friday night at Reckling Park. Promotional events for fans are scheduled throughout the weekend.
