TULSA, Okla. -- Dallas Martin hurled seven
strong innings and Oral Roberts University used several clutch
defensive plays in a 6-2 win over Southern Utah in the second day
of the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament, Friday at J.L. Johnson
Stadium.
The win propels ORU (40-18) into Saturday's 1 p.m. championship
game where they will face either Valparaiso or Southern Utah.
Martin (8-6) coasted through the first seven innings, allowing
just one unearned run. But with ORU leading 8-1 in the eighth,
SUU's Jake Reynolds led off with a single and Tom Ford doubled,
placing runners at second and third with none out.
Justin Ramsey relieved and promptly surrendered an RBI single to
Chris Mower, making it a 4-2 game and putting runners on the
corners with no one out.
With Southern still threatening, ORU's defense came up big. As
Ramsey bluffed a throw to third, pinch-runner Jona Droubay broke
for second base and Ramsey threw to second for the pickoff attempt.
Pinch-runner Brent Francom then left third base and ORU's Andy
Hargrove threw home to nail Francom for the first out. Ramsey then
retired the next two batters to end the threat.
Dennis Bigley belted a two-run homer in the top of the ninth,
and Ramsey set down SUU (20-28) in order in the ninth for his fifth
save, sending ORU to the title game.
The Golden Eagles took a 3-0 lead off T-Birds starter Jason
Gillins (1-4) in the fourth. Josh Lex doubled home two runs and Mat
VanDerBosch's ground out scored Ryan Welborn from third.
ORU reached the Southern Utah pitching staff for 12 hits, but
left 10 runners on base. David Castillo led the way with a 3-for-4
effort. VanDerBosch drove in two runs while Scott Campbell and Lex
each had two hits.
The Golden Eagles need just one win tomorrow, but if necessary,
will play a second title game if they lose the opener.
