TULSA, Okla. -- Dallas Martin's complete game
shutout in the nightcap followed a comeback win in the opener as
Oral Roberts capped the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of
Western Illinois, winning 9-4 and 7-0, Sunday at J.L. Johnson
Stadium.
Sunday's victories give ORU (38-18, 19-1) a sweep of the
four-game series, and the Golden Eagles have now won 22 of their
last 24 games heading into the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament
which begins Thursday in Tulsa. ORU has also won 16 straight league
games.
Martin (7-6) pitched his fifth straight complete game, gaining
his first career shutout. He lost a shutout in the final inning
last weekend at Oakland, but this time Martin wouldn't be denied.
The senior right-hander scattered five hits, walked one and struck
out four. He set down nine straight before Joe Rooney's one-out
double in the seventh, but came back with a strikeout and ground
out to end the game.
David Castillo's three-run homer in the first was all ORU needed
in the second game against Western (25-34, 10-10). The Golden
Eagles added another run in the first on Nate Griffin's RBI single
for a 4-0 lead.
Kevin Lamb's RBI double gave ORU a 5-0 edge in the third, and a
two-run single by Grant Plumley in the fifth made it 7-0. Ricky
McCool (7-6) took the loss for the Leathernecks.
In the opener, the Golden Eagles held a 4-1 lead in the top of
the eighth after Scott Campbell's two-run homer in the bottom of
the seventh, but WIU scored three times against Golden Eagle closer
Justin Ramsey, tying the game at four.
ORU came back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth. Andy
Hargrove snapped the tie with an RBI single off reliever Shay
Butler (3-5) and Josh Lex made it 6-4 ORU with an RBI single of his
own. Campbell doubled home two runs and Griffin's double gave the
Golden Eagles a 9-4 edge.
Sean Sorrow (4-1), who came on in relief of Ramsey with one out
in the eighth, picked up the win allowing one hit in 1.2 innings.
Freshman Alex Chalfant was outstanding in his first start in two
weeks, striking out a career-high 12 batters and allowing just one
run on three hits but getting a no-decision.
Plumley led an ORU offense, which banged out 21 hits in the two
games going 4-for-7 with four RBI, including a 3-for-3 effort in
game two.
The Mid-Con Tournament runs May 22-24 at J.L. Johnson Stadium..
Top seed ORU takes on fourth seed Valparaiso in opening round
action at 7 p.m., Thursday.
