Series Opener Ends in Shutout
On May 14, the Tulane Green Wave traveled to face the Owls of Rice University, only to see a 12‑0 defeat unfold across five innings. The loss dropped Tulane’s record to 4‑20 in games where opponents score first and to 7‑20 on the road or neutral sites this season.
Pitching Collapse in the Early Innings
Starter J.D. Rodriguez struggled, surrendering six runs on ten hits before being pulled after 3.1 innings. Reliever Jake Toporek added to the woes, giving up another six runs on six hits in just 1.2 frames. Jude Abbadessa managed a scoreless sixth, limiting damage to two hits, but the damage had already been done.
The combined effort left the Green Wave’s bullpen overworked, with the staff collectively yielding twelve runs on sixteen hits while walking only a handful of batters.
Offense Limited to Three Hits
Tulane managed just three scattered hits against Rice’s pitching. Jason Wachs recorded a single in the first inning, and Nate Johnson added base hits in the second and seventh, but the Green Wave could not string together rallies.
Rice capitalized on early momentum, scoring three runs in the opening frame after a bunt single from JC Davis. Paul Smith contributed an RBI single and later a two‑run homer, while Kutter‑Gage Webb drove in three runs with sacrifice flies. The performance underscored Tulane’s ongoing difficulty in finding offensive rhythm against strong conference opponents.