Box Score

TULSA, Okla. -- A trio of Arkansas pitchers combined on a three-hitter, and four Oral Roberts errors led to six unearned runs as the 20th-ranked Razorbacks grabbed an 8-2 win over the Golden Eagles, Tuesday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Josh Merryman (1-0) started for the Razorbacks (28-7) and held ORU (16-16) hitless in his 5.2 innings of work, before leaving with two on in the sixth. Merryman, a Tulsa native, struck out seven, walked one and hit two batters.

The Razorbacks broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the fifth. Ryan Fox led off with a solo home run for a 1-0 lead. Scott Bridges followed with a double before ORU starter Dallas Martin (2-6) fanned Scott Hode for the first out. Nick Pitts then grounded to first baseman Andy Hargrove, but his toss to Martin covering at first was wild, and Bridges scored for a 2-0 Arkansas lead.

Kris Kline relieved Martin and after getting the second out, Kline threw wildly to first on Andrew Wishy's comebacker, allowing Pitts to score for a 3-0 lead. Haas Pratt's double plated Wishy and Arkansas led 4-0.

The Razorbacks increased their lead to 5-0 with a run in the sixth before ORU finally broke through in the bottom of the inning. Merryman left after hitting Kevin Lamb and walking Ryan Welborn, and reliever Boyd Goodner surrendered a two-ruin single to David Castillo as the Golden Eagles cut the margin to 5-2.

It remained 5-2 until the Razorbacks scored three unearned runs in the ninth as Grant Plumley's second error of the night allowed one run and was followed by a two-rrun triple from Scott Bridges.

Bridges led Arkansas with a 3-for-5 night, driving in three runs. Dennis Bigley ORU's other hit, a single in the ninth.

The Golden Eagles open Mid-Continent Conference play with a four-game series at Valparaiso, beginning with a 12 noon doubleheader on Saturday.