Just when it seemed that the Crimson had no chance of getting back into the game, the Harvard bats showed signs of life. With the visitors facing a 6-0 deficit in the seventh, senior second baseman Faiz Shakir led off the inning with a sharp double down the right field line, and senior shortstop Mark Mager followed that up with a single to give the Crimson first and third with nobody out.

Sophomore Trey Hendricks, a Houston native, drove in the Crimson’s first run with a hit to right. But Mann grounded into a double play and senior Josh San Salvador flied out to end the inning.

“That was huge,” Rice Coach Wayne Graham said. “That quieted the chaos.”

The chaos would resurface in the next inning, only to be silenced once again when Owls catcher Justin Ruchti applied the tag on Shakir.

Hendricks pitched 2.2 innings in relief of Hordon and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Mager’s 2-for-4 day brought him to within a hit of tying the school career record of 208 set by Hal Carey ’99.

Crockett will start for the Crimson tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. in the first loser’s bracket game against Washington or Texas Tech.

Rice 8, Harvard 3

at Reckling Park

Houston, TX

NCAA First Round

Harvard (20-25) 000 000 120—3 7 1

Rice (48-11) 200 031 020—8 12 1

2B: H—Wallace, Shakir. R—Janish. SB: H—Mager, Hale. R—Kolkhorst, Sinisi. Pitchers: H—Hordon L (4.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 K), Hendricks (2.2 IP, 0 ER), Dryden (1.1 IP, 2 ER), Ronz (0.1 IP, 0 ER). R—Herce W (8.0 IP, 2 ER, 8 K), Tribe (410 IP, 0 ER, 1 K). Attendance: 3,531