TULSA�€"Kevin Lamb's (Owasso,
Okla.) RBI single in the bottom of the 11th gave Oral
Roberts University a win in game one, and Tim Torres (Rocklin,
Calif.) was 4-for-4 with two RBI to lead ORU to 9-5
come-from-behind win in game two as the Golden Eagles swept a
Mid-Continent Conference doubleheader from Southern Utah, winning
4-3 and 8-5, Sunday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
The Golden Eagles
(19-13, 4-0) swept the four-game series from the Thudnerbirds
(12-18, 0-4).
Lamb's two-out single
in the 11th scored Michael Hollimon (Dallas,
Texas) from second base with the winning run, capping a two-out
rally. Hollimon walked with one out and Brian Hanson (Kelseyville,
Calif.) was hit by a pitch. After first baseman Dennis Bigley (Lancaster,
Texas) flied out to center, Lamb - who pinch-ran for designated
hitter Rene
Recio (Corpus Christi, Texas) in the bottom of the ninth -
lined an 0-1 pitch from reliever Jeff Oliverson (1-2) through the
hole on the left side of the infield, and Hollimon scored without a
play.
Southern Utah tied the
game with a pair of runs in the ninth off reliever Daniel Greenwalt (LaHabra,
Calif.). SUU shortstop Jason Ruiz made it a 3-2 game with a two-out
RBI single and with runners on the corners and two outs, Bigley
misplayed Justin Sotelo's slow roller to first, allowing J.D.
Westphal to score from third with the tying run.
A pair of RBI single by
Recio �€" one in the first and the other in the fourth
�€" gave ORU a 2-0 lead in game one. Hollimon made it
3-0 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
The bullpen failed to
hold the lead for starter Nick Jones (Broken Arrow,
Okla.), who turned in a solid performance in just his second start
in the last month. Jones pitched 6.0 shutout innings, allowing six
hits and striking out seven with one walk.
Dane Towery (Mustang,
Okla.) earned the win by pitching a scoreless top of the
11th to improve his season record to 2-1.
ORU overcame 3-0 and
5-3 deficits in game two to get the win.
Southern Utah roughed
up Recio early on, getting a run on three hits in the first inning
and two runs on two hits and a walk in the second.
But ORU tied the game
with a two-out rally in the bottom of the second. Hollimon drew a
two-out, bases loaded walk to force in the Golden Eagles' first
run, and Hanson followed with a two-run double to left, knotting
the game at 3-3.
The Thunderbirds chased
Recio from the game in the third after the senior right-hander
allowed a walk and a single to start the inning. Matt Hancock (Okmulgee,
Okla.) relieved and failed to retire any of the three batters he
faced, allowing a bases loaded walk and a run-scoring single for a
5-3 SUU lead. Justin
Edwards (Muldrow, Okla.) relieved Hancock with the bases
loaded and no outs and got a pop up and a double play ground ball
to end the inning.
Down 5-3, the Golden
Eagles scored at least one run in each of the next four innings.
Torres belted a run scoring double in the bottom of the third to
make it 5-4, and Bigley laced a two-run double in the bottom of the
fourth as ORU took a 6-5 lead.
Leftfielder Travis DeBondt
(Bakersfield, Calif.) hit a towering home run leading off the fifth
for a 7-5 advantage, and Hanson doubled in Hollimon four batters
later for an 8-5 advantage.
Torres capped ORU's
scoring with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth for a 9-5
lead.
Edwards (1-0) kept the
T-Birds in check through the fourth and fifth innings, issuing only
a lead-off walk in the top of the fourth. Tim Robertson (Huntington
Beach, Calif.) relieved in the top of the sixth and pitched two
hitless innings for his third save of the season.
Reliever Barden Yardley
(1-2) took the loss for SUU.
The Golden Eagles
pounded out 13 hits against four SUU pitchers in game two. Torres
had three single, a double and scored a run, while Hollimon and
Hanson each had two hits; Hanson added three RBI.
The Golden Eagles
return to action when they host Arkansas, 7 p.m., Tuesday at J.L.
Johnson Stadium.
--ORU--
