SANTA BARBARA, Calif.�€"UC-Santa Barbara took
advantage of some early-innings wildness by Oral Roberts starter
Taylor McIntyre (Edmond, Okla.) and the Gauchos held on for a 7-2
win over the Golden Eagles, Friday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
McIntyre (2-5) battled
control problems almost from the start. He plunked the lead-off
batter in the first inning, then loaded the bases with a pair of
walks, the last coming with two outs. First baseman Bill Rowe then
singled up the middle to give UCSB (13-11) a 2-0 lead.
In the second McIntyre
was wild again, walking consecutive hitters with one out. But a pop
up and a line out helped get him out of the jam without any runs
being scored.
McIntyre wouldn't be so
fortunate in the third. He gave up a lead-off double to
rightfielder Matt Wilkerson, a single to DH Jack Pinkerton and
another walk to Rowe. McIntyre was chased from the game after
giving up a bases-loaded walk to leftfielder Matt Stevens --
McIntyre's sixth walk of the game �€" gave UCSB a 3-0
lead.
Reliever Daniel
Greenwalt came on and struck out the first two batters he faced but
surrendered a two-run single to second baseman Alden Carrithers as
the gauchos grabbed a 5-0 lead.
UCSB made it 6-0 in the
fourth when Wilkerson hit a wind-aided solo home run.
While UCSB was taking
command of the game, the Golden Eagles were being held in check
offensively by UCSB starter Michael Martin (3-1), who faced the
minimum number of hitters in the first four innings.
ORU got on the board in
the top of the sixth. Rightfielder Kelly Minissale (Murphy, Texas)
led off with a single and moved to third on a double by shortstop
Michael Hollimon (Dallas, Texas). Dennis Bigley (Lancaster, Texas)
drove in both runners two batters later with a single to right,
making it a 6-2 game.
The Golden Eagles
threatened again in the top of the eighth inning, but came up
empty. Hollimon led off with a single and second baseman Brian
Hanson (Kelseyville, Calif.) followed with a walk. But third
baseman Jon Tackett (Tulsa, Okla.) grounded into a 4-6-3 double
play and Bigley grounded out to end the threat.
UCSB tacked on an
unearned run in the bottom of the eighth for the final margin.
ORU pitching
surrendered eight walks and hit a pair of batters on the day. Two
of the walks scored, one drove in a run and one of the hit batters
also came around to score.
McIntyre took the loss,
allowing five runs (all earned) on three hits with six walks and
two strikeouts in two-plus innings. Greenwalt was outstanding in
relief for ORU, allowing just one earned run on six hits in 6.0
innings, while striking out seven and walking two.
Hollimon and Tim Torres
(Rocklin, Calif.) each had two hits for the Golden Eagles.
Carrithers, Wilkerson and Pinkerton each had two hits for UCSB.
The Gauchos and Golden
Eagles warp up their three-game series at 3 p.m. CST, Saturday.
--ORU--
