HOUSTON (Interstat) — Rice Owls pounded the Tulane Green Wave 12-0 on Thursday afternoon at M.O. Campbell Center, improving to 32-22 while Tulane dropped to 25-29. The Owls collected 18 hits and scored in four different innings, while the Green Wave managed only three hits.

Tanner Wiggins pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and no earned runs with one strikeout to earn the win. Paul Smith led the offense, going 4-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. Colin Robson added three hits and an RBI, Garet Boehm tripled and drove in two runs, and Kutter-Gage Webb recorded three sacrifice flies. Rice also executed two sacrifice hits.

Tulane starter J.D. Rodriguez took the loss, surrendering five earned runs in 3⅓ innings. Jude Abbadessa pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

The Owls scored three runs in the first, one in the third, four in the fourth and four more in the fifth. Smith’s two-run homer in the fifth capped the scoring. The series continues Friday and Saturday in Houston.