by Catherine Taylor
Staff Writer
After taking the season opener against Rice 16-12, Houston has been unable to give a repeat performance. The Cougars had their fourth straight loss in the five-game series, as the Owls defeated Houston 8-5 in front of 831 fans at Cougar Field Monday night.
Rice (34-13 overall) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when catcher Tim McLaughlin singled, bringing in two. The Owls struck again in the second when leftfielder Charles Williams scored on a RBI from shortstop Joseph Cathey.
After being hitless the first two innings by Rice's starting pitcher, Marc Gwyn, Houston (28-15) got their bats swinging in the third with a single by leftfielder Eric Lee. Lee later scored on an RBI from center fielder Goefrey Tomlinson. After Tomlinson crossed the plate on a wild pitch, the Cougars trailed by only one run at 3-2.
Rice widened the gap in the fourth as they continued to capitalize on UH starter Duncan McAdoo. Center fielder Lance Berkman slammed a two-run homer, his 29th of the season, on a hanging curve ball from McAdoo, giving the Owls a 7-3 lead.
"We can't get a starting pitcher to give a decent performance," Houston coach Rayner Noble said. "Duncan didn't pitch bad, but it wasn't what we needed. The starting pitcher has to go out there and start in good fashion."
UH scored rightfielder Brandon Caraway on a RBI single from second baseman Ryan Ware, bringing the Cougars within two going into the fifth.
Third baseman Ryan Mathews hit the second home run of the game for Rice, and his second of the season, increasing the Owl's lead to 7-4.
Mathews hit 3-for-4 for the game to lead the Owls.
Houston rallied in the seventh, scoring two runs on an RBI from both catcher Bruce Rios and Shane Nance, who pinch hit for the designated hitter Jason Schreiber.
The Cougars were on the verge of a comeback in the eighth, with the bases loaded, no outs and Tomlinson, Houston's best hitter, at the plate. But Rice reliever Peter Toronto came in and shut out the top of the UH lineup to close out the inning and Houston's hopes of a comeback.
"We got behind early again, which seems to be a problem we have against Rice," Ware said. "We had our chance in the eighth. We couldn't have asked for anyone better to be at the plate, but it just didn't happen."
Toronto closed out the game in the ninth with his fourth strikeout in two innings to pick up his first save of the season.
"We just got out-competed tonight," Noble said. "Rice has a little more of a feel for the post-season, and they showed that tonight."
The Cougars take the field against Texas-San Antonio 7 p.m. today at Cougar Field.