SANTA BARBARA, Calif. �€" The bullpen duo of Loren
Fraser and Alex McRobbie limited Oral Roberts University to just
three hits over the final four innings, leading UC-Santa Barbara to
a 4-3 win, Saturday at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Fraser and McRobbie,
who earned his sixth save of the season, combined to strike out
five batters. The duo helped make a winner out of starter Steve
Morlock (3-4), who allowed all three ORU runs on three hits and
three walks in 5-plus innings of work.
The Golden Eagles
(13-9) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, without benefit of
a hit. Centerfielder Tim Torres (Rocklin, Calif.) drew a one-out
walk, and reached third on an errant pickoff attempt by UCSB
catcher Matt Kalafatis. Shortstop Michael Hollimon (Dallas, Texas)
drove in Torres with a sacrifice fly and the Golden Eagles had
their first lead of the series.
But as they did
throughout the series, the Gauchos (14-11) responded in the bottom
of the first. Second baseman Alden Carrithers led off with a
single, stole second and scored on a two-out single by rightfielder
Matt Wilkerson, tying the game at 1-1.
ORU starter Rene Recio
(Corpus Christi, Texas) set down the Gachos in order in the second
but ran into trouble in the third. Recio hit C.J. Cook leading off
the third, but Cook was erased on a failed sac bunt attempt by
Carrithers. Third baseman Jon Tackett (Tulsa, Okla.) dropped a
potential inning-ending double play ball hit by David Figoni for an
error, and UCSB took advantage. Shortstop Chris Malec drove in a
run with a double for a 2-1 lead and Wilkerson followed with a long
home run for a 4-1 lead.
The Golden Eagles
climbed back into the game, scoring single runs in the fourth and
sixth. Dennis Bigley (Lancaster, Texas) drove in Hollimon with a
single in the fourth, and Hanson made it a 4-3 game with an RBI
single in the sixth.
With Hanson on first
and none out, Fraser came on and got Torres to ground into a double
play, the he struck out Hollimon to end the threat and preserve the
lead.
ORU wouldn't threaten
again until the eighth. Hanson and Torres hit consecutive singles,
putting runners on the corners with two outs. But McRobbie came in
and retired Hollimon on a fly to sent to end the inning.
In the top of the
ninth, Bigley hit a towering drive to left field leading off, but
David Harritt made the grab leaning against the wall. McRobbie then
struck out Ricky Rivera (Santa Isabel, P.R.) and Tackett to end the
game.
Recio was a tough-luck
loser for the Golden Eagles. He allowed four runs (two earned) on
six hits over a season-long 6.0 innings, striking out three and
walking two.
Hanson was the only
Golden Eagle with more than one hit, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.
The Golden Eagles
return to action when they visit Southwest Missouri State, 7 p.m.,
Tuesday.
--ORU--
