If the key attribute of a champion is being able to get up off the canvas, the Owls are well on their way to Omaha. After giving up three runs in the top of the inning, Rice responded with five runs on six hits in the bottom of the frame to take their first lead of the game.

Tyler Henley led off the inning with a single under the first baseman, but was still at first after Greg Buchanan and Brian Friday both flew out. But with two outs, the Owl bats responded. Josh Rodriguez took the first offering from Tim Matthews over the rightfield wall to cut the gap to one run. It was Rodriguez's second homer in three games against the Bears this season, and his ninth of the season. Joe Savery extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single, moved to second on Aaron Luna's single, and scored when Adam Zornes drove in both runners with a double to the leftfield gap. Jordan Dodson completed the cycle for the Owls with a triple just past the outstretched arm of the rightfielder, scoring Zornes for the fifth and final run of the inning.

Savery responded to his first lead of the game by setting the Bears down in order in the top of the fourth. It took just eight pitches to record two groundouts and a strikeout. With four innings pitched, this is the longest of Savery's five outings since returning from an injury that kept him from pitching during April.