HOUSTON – Rice broke a tie with a run in the fifth and added another in the seventh to claim a 3-1 victory over HBU in non-conference baseball Tuesday night at Reckling Park.
 
HBU junior leftfielder Christian Dumont had a solo home run, while senior second baseman Trent Franson had the only other hit for the Huskies (2-9).
 
Guy Garibay went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and scored twice, while Bradley Gneiting went 2-for-2 and drove in a pair for the Owls (5-6). Braden Comeaux went 2-for-4 and scored a run.
 
Sophomore righthander Morris Austin made his first start for HBU, allowing one run on one hit and striking out three in two innings. Sophomore Javan Smitherman tossed two scoreless innings, while freshman Cy Murphy (0-1) took the loss, giving up a run on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in two innings.
 
Brandon Deskins (1-1) earned the win, allowing one run on two hits and striking out 11 in six innings. Drake Greenwood pitched two scoreless innings, then Garibay came on to pick up his first save with a perfect ninth.
 
Garibay tripled then scored on a wild pitch to give the Owls a 1-0 lead in the first.
 
Dumont tied up the game in the fourth with a solo shot to left.
 
Garibay doubled in the fifth and scored on Gneiting's RBI single to left to regain the lead for Rice. The Owls added a run in the seventh when Comeaux led off with a double and scored on Gneiting's sacrifice fly.
 
The Huskies return to action and finish off a 15-game season-opening road swing when they begin Southland Conference play with a four-game series against New Orleans in New Orleans.