HUNTSVILLE – Tyler Knight’s three-run double in the seventh inning broke open a 4-4 tie and Bearkat pitchers combined to strike out 11 Owls as Sam Houston State upset No. 8 Rice 8-6 at Don Sanders Stadium Tuesday night.

Sam Houston (7-3) totaled 14 hits as catcher Mark Wyatt went 3-for-5 at the plate. Matt Shelton (3-0) got the victory in relief and freshman Sean Weatherford was credited with the save.

Brock Holt started the game with a lead off home run in the top of the first to put Rice up 1-0.

Sam Houston came back with four runs in the bottom of the first. Seth Hammock’s double scored Justin Keithley who walked. Mark Wyatt singled in Hamock then scored on a double by Nick Zaleski. Braeden Riley singled in Wyatt and Zaleski tallied on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Knight.

After the home run, Bearkat starter Cody Springer settled down, blanking the Owls the next four innings. The right-hander allowed five hits in six innings, striking out seven Rice batters.

Rice picked up its second run in the top of the sixth as Rick Hague singled, then scored on a single by Steven Sultzbaugh.

With two out in the seventh, Rice knotted the game 4-4. Chad Mozingo walked, Diego Seastrunk singled and Anthony Rendon scored Mozingo with another single. Hague tied the game with a single to left to score Seastrunk.

Tyler Knight smashed a three-run triple to right center in the bottom of the seventh to give the Bearkats a 7-4 lead. Wyatt doubled in Ryan Mooney for another run in the bottom of the ninth.

Rice began a ninth inning rally as Holt singled, Mozingo was hit by a pitch and Anthony Rendon doubled off the center field wall to score Holt. Mozingo scored on a sacrifice fly by Hague.

LINE SCORE

Sam Houston St 8, Rice 6 (Mar 03, 2009 at Huntsville, TX)

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Rice................ 100 001 202  -  6 11  0      (5-3)

Sam Houston St...... 400 000 31X  -  8 14  1      (7-3)

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Pitchers: Rice - Jared Rogers; Mark Haynes(1); Abe Gonzales(6); Matthew Reckling(7);

Zack Harwood(8). Sam Houston St - Springer, Cody; Jackson, Justin(7); Shelton, Matt(7);

Weatherford, Sean(9).

Win-Shelton, Matt(3-0)  Save-Weatherford, Sean(1)  Loss-Matthew Reckling(0-2)  T-2:50  A-986

HR RICE - Brock Holt.