March 20, 2001

Box Score

HOUSTON, Texas - The Baylor baseball team racked up 11 hits, but it was not enough as the Bears fell to No. 1 Rice 8-7 in 10 innings Tuesday night at Reckling Park.

With the loss, 16th-ranked Baylor falls to 18-8, while Rice improves to 22-5.

Baylor jumped on the board in the top of the first when Tim Hartshorn led off with a single up the middle and later came in on an error. In the second, Matt Williams smacked a single to left field and David Murphy walked to put runners in scoring position. Mark Saccomanno reached on a fielder's choice and, with runners on the corners, Hartshorn ripped an RBI single to plate Williams and put the Bears up 2-0.

Rice opened the bottom of the second inning with a leadoff home run by Phillip Ghutzman, but Baylor starter Jared Theodorakos got the next three batters out to preserve a 2-1 lead.

After two scoreless innings, Baylor widened the gap with a run in the fifth and three more runs in the sixth. Rice countered in the bottom of the sixth inning with five runs on five hits to tie the game at 6-6.

In the top of the ninth, the Bears broke the tie when Williams reached on a fielder's choice, advanced on a single by David Murphy and then scored on a balk by Rice reliever Steven Herce.

The Owls made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth when they scored the tying run and loading the bases with one out. Baylor closer Zane Carlson got Mike Lorsbach to fly out and struck out Brian Bormaster to end the inning.

In the tenth, Baylor was held scoreless and Rice won the game on an RBI double to right center by Eric Arnold.

Carlson (0-2) took the loss for Baylor, giving up two runs on six hits in one-and-a-third innings of work. Herce (1-0) got his first win after working four plus innings and giving up just one run on one hit.

Bears catcher Kelly Shoppach has now hit safely in 17 straight games.

Baylor returns to action Friday with the first game of a three-game Big 12 conference series at Kansas. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Lawrence.