FAU Comeback Falls Short Versus Rice

Saturday, May 9

Boca Raton, Fla.

1:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

36-13, 17-9

Rice

32-16, 19-7

Rice

Florida Atlantic

5/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 9, 2015

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Sophomore CJ Chatham went 3-for-4 and scored the Florida Atlantic University baseball team's lone run in a 5-1 loss to Rice on Saturday.

FAU (36-13, 17-9 C-USA) fell behind early as Rice posted three runs in the first inning on five hits and an error as Drew Jackson returned to the hill for the first time since April 11.

FAU put five runners on base over the first three innings, but was held scoreless by Rice starter Kevin McCanna.

"We've made some errors that we usually don't make," FAU Head Coach John McCormack said. "Offensively, we're used to getting a big hit and we just haven't."

Freshman David McKay held Rice without an earned run over 3.2 innings, allowing just one hit in that span to keep FAU within striking distance.

Two more FAU errors in the sixth contributed to an unearned run that extended the Rice lead to 4-0.

Billy Endris singled and Brendon Sanger walked to put two on with no outs in the bottom of the frame and Christian Dicks and Chatham each reached to open the seventh, but again FAU could not produce runs.

A one-out single followed by a pinch-hit double by Kirby Taylor extended the Rice lead to 5-0 in the 8th.

FAU, who has not been shutout in back-to-back series games since April 1989, mustered a run in the ninth on three straight singles by Chatham, Esteban Puerta and Stephen Kerr. FAU had the tying run on deck as Rice closer Austin Orewiler ended the threat with a popup and a strikeout.

Kerr was 2-for-4 on the day while Sanger went 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. Jackson was tagged with just his second loss of the season, striking out one while allowing two earned runs on seven hits.

FAU and Rice square off for game three Sunday at noon at the FAU Baseball Stadium in FAU's final regular-season home game of 2015. For ticket information, visit FAUSports.com or call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.