CEDAR CITY, UT�€"Dennis Bigley (Lancaster,
Texas) fired a complete game in the opener, and Scott Modeste (Sacramento,
Calif.) had six hits and seven RBI in the doubleheader
�€" including the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth
of game two �€" as No. 14 Oral Roberts University
swept a doubleheader from Southern Utah, Friday at Thunderbird
Park. The Golden Eagles won 8-1 and 9-4.
ORU (44-8, 20-0)
remained perfect in Mid-Con play and extended their league winnings
streak to 39 games. ORU also improved to 36-0 when scoring at least
five runs.
Bigley (11-1) dominated
in the opener, allowing just one run on eight hits over nine
innings. He struck out seven without walking a batter, picking up
his sixth complete game in the process.
The Golden Eagles gave
Bigley a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, with all the damage
coming with two outs. Modeste drilled a 3-run double
�€" his first of four doubles on the day
�€" and Ricky Rivera (Santa Isabel,
P.R.) followed with an RBI single for a 4-0 advantage.
ORU took a 6-0 lead in
the top of the sixth when Nate Griffin (Tulsa, Okla.)
singled home a run, and Matt VanDerBosch (Hastings,
Minn.) tripled in Griffin.
Bigley didn't allow a
run until Southern Utah broke through in the bottom of the sixth.
The T-Birds put runners on second and third with none out, but
Bigley allowed only a sacrifice fly by Amos Burgess before getting
out of the inning without further damage.
Modeste doubled in runs
in the seventh and ninth innings for the final 8-1 margin.
In game two, the Golden
Eagles wasted a 4-1 sixth-inning lead, then nearly watched
ultr-reliable closer Justin Ramsey (Elk Grove,
Calif.) give away the game in extra innings before exploding for
five run in the top of the ninth.
Up 4-1 entering the
bottom of the sixth Sean Sorrow (Bakersfield,
Calif.) �€" who had allowed just one run on two hits
in the first five innings �€" suffered control
problems and was relived with runners on second and third with one
out in a 4-2 game.
Ramsey came on and
balked in a run before even throwing a pitch. He then gave up a
game-tying single to Burgess and the game went to extra innings
tied at 4-4.
After ORU missed a
chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth, the Thunderbirds
loaded the bases with none out. But Ramsey (7-0) struck out Burgess
and Mike Nelson, and retired Josh Bolingbroke on a pop up to end
the threat.
The Golden Eagles
responded with five runs in the top of the ninth. Two SUU pitchers
walked the bases loaded with one out and Modeste followed with an
infield single for a 5-4 lead. Brian Hanson (Kelseyville,
Calif.) then doubled in two runs for a 7-4 advantage, Rivera
blooped a single to right for an 8-4 lead and the final run scored
on Griffin's sacrifice fly.
Ramsey allowed a
lead-off single in the bottom of the innings, but got a double play
and strikeout to end the game.
ORU banged out 21 hits
in the two games, with Modeste going 5-for-10 with four doubles and
seven RBI. Rivera was 4-for-5 in the opening game and 5-for-9 with
two RBI for the day.
The Golden Eagles and
Thunderbirds conclude the 2004 regular season with a 12 p.m.
doubleheader on Sunday.
--ORU--
