TULSA, Okla. -- Dennis Bigley homered in each
game -- including a grand slam in the nightcap -- and picked up the
win on the mound in game two as Oral Roberts University swept a
Mid-Continent Conference doubleheader from Western Illinois,
winning 4-3 and 11-3, Saturday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Bigley hit a solo homer in the opener, and his grand slam in the
second game provided all the offense he needed in raising his
season record to 9-2. ORU (36-18, 17-1 Mid-Con) has now won 20 of
its last 22 games.
Western Illinois (25-32, 10-8) took a 1-0 lead in the first
inning of the opening game, but the Golden Eagles cam back with two
runs in the bottom of the inning. Grant Plumley's triple drove in
Matt VanDerBosch and David Castillo knocked in Plumley with a
sacrifice fly as ORU went on top 2-1.
VanDerBosch singled home Kevin Lamb in the second for a 3-1 ORU
lead and Bigley's solo home run off Leathernecks starter Nathan
Miller (4-6) made it 4-1 in the fourth.
Taylor McIntyre (6-2) retired seven straight batters at one
point, but WIU broke through for two runs in the seventh, trimming
the Golden Eagle lead to 4-3. Justin Ramsey relieved McIntyre with
one out in the eighth and threw 1.2 perfect innings for his fourth
save.
Bigley wasn't his usual dominant self on the mound in game two
as he allowed three runs on 10 hits. But the Golden Eagles scored
10 runs in the first two innings and coasted to victory.
The Golden Eagles sent nine straight batters to the plate in the
second inning, all with two outs, as ORU turned a 4-0 lead into a
10-0 cushion. Plumley and Castillo each drove in a run with a
single, Josh Lex knocked in two and Ryan Welborn plated a run with
a double as ORU sent 11 batters to the plate in the second.
Western scored single runs in the second, fourth and sixth
innings. Castillo belted his league-leading 15th home run of the
season in the bottom of the fifth. He also leads the Mid-Con with
66 RBI.
Casey Ferber (3-2) took the loss for WIU in game two.
VanDerBosch and Plumley each had four hits on the day for the
Golden Eagles. Bigley drove in six runs and Castillo knocked in
three.
Western's Blake Schultz, who entered the doubleheader leading
the Mid-Con with a .392 average, was 1-for-8, dropping him to .382
on the season.
The Golden Eagles and Leathernecks conclude their four-game
series with a 12 noon, doubleheader on Sunday.
