Rice and UCF baseball continued where they left off Thursday, but an Owl rally fell short in an 8-6 loss — the first game of a Friday doubleheader.
Thursday's game was suspended in the top of the fifth inning due to rain. No. 5 Rice was trailing 8-3 when the game was called. The three runs had been scored in the fifth. When the game got back underway on Friday, the Owls added another three runs in the frame, but didn't score again.
Matthew Reckling got the start on Thursday, but only lasted two-plus innings. No. 16 UCF scored five runs in the bottom of the third to jump out to a big lead. Zech Lemond gave up three runs (two earned) in the next inning as the Knights extended their lead to 8-0. Rice rallied in the two-day fifth inning, but it wasn't enough.
The Owls had six total hits from six different players. Jeremy Rathjen went 1-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. The win puts UCF up a game on Rice in the C-USA standings. The Owls have a streak of 16 straight conference championships, but that could be in danger, now.