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When you're playing against the top team in the conference -- and the No. 3 team in the nation -- you can't afford to make mistakes.
But BYU did Thursday, and the result was a 7-1 loss to the Rice Owls in Houston.
BYU starter Micah Mangrum walked the first three Owls he faced to load the bases, then hit Rice right fielder Will Ford with a pitch to force in the first of the Owls' seven runs.
Mangrum settled down and got the next three outs, but not before a Jason Gray groundout scored another run for Rice.
And that would prove to be enough for the Owl's Mario Ramos (9-1), who tossed his second consecutive complete game, four-hitting the Cougars and recording eight strike outs in the process.
The only damage BYU could manage against Ramos came in the fourth inning, when DH Michael Wirrick, who accounted for half his team's hits, singled in Ryan Pond.
The win upped Rice's record to 33-8 overall and 13-3 in the WAC. BYU fell back to .500 at 18-18, 7-8 in conference.
The series continues with a doubleheader today.