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HOUSTON – HBU pounded out eight hits, but did not get enough when it needed them most, as the fourth-seeded Huskies were eliminated by 19^th-ranked and second-seeded Rice at the NCAA Baseball Championship Houston Regional Sunday afternoon at Cougar Field.
 
Junior second baseman Greg Espinosa went 2-for-4 with a double and a run, while senior catcher Samm Wiggins went 2-for-3 for HBU (28-27). Junior leftfielder Brandon Morones singled and drove in the Huskies' lone run.
 
Senior righthander Curtis Jones (6-7) took the loss for the Huskies, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits in seven and one-third innings. Senior Josh Martinez finished off the game, holding the Owls to one hit over the final one and two-thirds.
 
Ford Stainbeck was 4-for-4 with a double and two runs for Rice (36-21), while Ryan Chandler was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.
 
Ricardo Salinas (3-2) picked up the win for the Owls, allowing one run on five hits in two and two-thirds innings of relief. Starter Jordan Stephens shut the Huskies out on one hit in three innings, but did not return after Saturday's rain delay. Matt Ditman earned his 11^th save, holding HBU scoreless on two hits in three and one-third innings.
 
Before the game was suspended Saturday, the Owls broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth on a double to right by Stainbeck and a bloop double down the leftfield line by Chandler to take a 1-0 lead. When play resumed Sunday, Jones struck out Tristan Gray for the second out, but a wild pitch and an error by catcher Samm Wiggins allowed Chandler to score to give Rice a 2-0 advantage.
 
In the fifth, senior rightfielder Thomas Clay reached on an error by Gray on a long throw from deep in the hole at shortstop, but was forced out at second when senior centerfielder Zach Nehrir reached on a fielder's choice. The Huskies put runners on the corners on a hit-and-run single by junior shortstop Louie Payetta, but Jones struck out to end the inning.
 
Three-straight singles by Stainbeck, Teykl and Chandler in the sixth extended Rice's lead to 3-0, but Jones struck out Gray and got John Clay Reeves to fly out to rightcenter to end the inning.
 
The Huskies answered in the bottom of the sixth when Espinosa doubled into the leftfield corner with two outs, then Morones ripped an RBI single to leftcenter.
 
In the eighth, Wiggins smacked a one-out single to left, went to second on a wild pitch, then junior first baseman Andrew Alvarez walked. Ditman settled down, striking out Espinosa and getting Morones to ground into a fielder's choice that retired Wiggins.
 
Martinez led off the bottom of the ninth with a single up the middle, but the Huskies went down in order after that.
 
Rice will play the loser of this afternoon's winner's bracket game between Houston and Louisiana-Lafayette at 8 p.m. The regional championship will be played Monday at 1 p.m., then 6 p.m. if necessary.
 
HBU Notes: HBU made its first-ever NCAA Baseball Championship appearance…senior third baseman/pitcher Curtis Jones finishes his career second all-time at HBU in hits, five shy of leader Andrew Taccolini (274)…Jones made his fourth start against a ranked opponent this season…senior catcher Samm Wiggins reached safely in 21-straight games…junior second baseman Greg Espinosa extended his hitting streak to nine games.