MACOMB, IL�€"Rene Recio (Corpus Christi, Texas) and
Nick Jones (Broken Arrow, Okla.) each tossed a complete game, and
Michael Hollimon (Dallas, Texas) belted a pair of home runs in the
opener and had the game-winning hit in the nightcap as Oral Roberts
University clinched its seventh straight Mid-Continent Conference
regular-season title by sweeping a doubleheader from Western
Illinois, winning 9-3 and 6-5, Sunday at Vince Grady Field.
Recio (3-2) hurled his
first nine-inning complete game since April 2, 2002 against Kansas.
The fifth-year senior gave up two earned runs on five hits. He
walked four and struck out five, and retired the game's final 12
batters.
Brian Aguailar (Lompoc,
Calif.) and Hollimon hit back-to-back home runs in the top of the
third inning for a 2-0 ORU (33-18, 18-2 Mid-Con) lead.
After the Leathernecks
(23-28, 13-7 Mid-Con) made it a 2-1 game in the fourth, Kelly
Minnisale (Murphy, Texas) gave ORU a 3-1 lead with an RBI single in
the top of the fifth.
But Western's Kyle
Malan belted a two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth, tying the
game at 3-3.
The game remained tied
until ORU exploded for six runs in the top of the eighth. The
Golden Eagles loaded the bases with one out and Travis DeBodnt
(Baskerfield, Calif.) knocked in a run with a ground out for a 4-3
lead. Two runs scored on an error on Dennis Bigley's (Lancaster,
Texas) ground ball and, after an RBI single by Aguailar, Hollimon
belted a two-run homer to deep right for a 9-3 lead.
In game two, Jones
(5-2) settled down after allowing three runs in the bottom of the
first inning.
Leading 1-0 following
an RBI single by Recio in the top of the first, Jones gave up three
runs on four hits and a walk in the first inning, the first earned
runs Jones has allowed in conference play.
Western made it 4-1 on
a sacrifice fly in the second, and went up 5-1 on Jim Sanew's RBI
single in the fourth
ORU started its
comeback when Minissale smacked a two-run homer in the top of the
fifth, making it a 5-3 game.
The Golden Eagles took
advantage of shoddy WIU defense in the top of the sixth for three
unearned runs. Tim Torres (Rocklin, Calif.) reached on a lead-off
error, and moved to third on a single by Jon Tackett (Tulsa,
Okla.). Kevin Lamb (Owasso, Okla.) pinch hit for Debondt and his
sacrifice bunt was thrown away by relief pitcher Bobby Mahon,
allowing Torres and Tackett to score and tie the game at 5-5. After
Bigley struck out and Aguailar lined out, Hollimon lined the first
pitch from Mahon to left to score Lamb and give ORU a 6-5 lead.
After allowing the RBI
single to Sanew in the fourth, Jones gave up just one more hit and
set the Leathernecks down in order in the final two innings to get
the title-cinching win.
Jones allowed five runs
on eight hits in 7.0 innings, walking a season-high four with five
strikeouts. Mahon (1-3) took the loss.
Hollimon had four hits
and four RBI in doubleheader, while Minissale had five hits and
drove in three runs.
The Godlen Eagles
conclude the 2005 regular-season when they visit Chicago State for
a four-game series, beginning 12 noon Friday.
--ORU--
