ARLINGTON, Texas�€"Nick Jones (Broken Arrow,
Okla.) struck out eight batters and allowed just two hits over 7.0
innings as Oral Roberts University defeated Kansas State 5-1 in the
opening game of the UTA Invitational on a bitterly cold Friday
afternoon at Clay Gould Field. Host school Texas-Arlington defeated
the Golden Eagles 7-5 in the nightcap.
Jones (2-0) gave up a
two-out single in the first and a solo home run leading off the
fourth as his only hits allowed. He struck out the side in the
second and fanned a pair in the fourth. The senior right-hander
never faced more than four batters in any inning.
With the Wildcats (1-1)
clinging to a 1-0 lead, the Golden Eagles (4-1) plated a pair of
runs in the top of the seventh. Shortstop Tim Torres (Rocklin,
Calif.) led off the inning with a game-tying solo home run. Next,
catcher Brian
Aguailar (Lompoc, Calif.) singled, moved to second on a
walk by third baseman Carter McQuigg (Miami,
Okla.) and two batters later centerfielder Kelly Minissale (Murphy,
Texas) drove in Aguailar with a single.
The Golden Eagles added
to their lead in the top of the ninth. Second baseman Jake Kahaulelio
(Windsor, Calif.) ripped a two-run double, and first baseman
Chad Rothford
(Fresno, Calif.) drove in the final run with a sacrifice fly.
Chris Ashman (Hemet,
Calif.) picked up the save by tossing 2.0 shutout innings of
relief, striking out four and allowing just two hits.
In game two, ORU
starting pitcher Taylor McIntyre (Edmond,
Okla.) allowed four first-inning runs and the Golden Eagles never
caught up to the Mavericks (5-1).
Down 4-0, ORU chipped
away at UTA's lead. An unearned run in the top of the fifth put the
Golden Eagles within 4-1, and catcher Andy Bouchie's (Riverside,
Calif.) two-run homer in the top of the sixth made it a 4-3
game.
But McIntyre (1-1) ran
into more trouble in the bottom of the sixth. After loading the
bases with no outs, McIntyre gave up a walk to force in a run and
put UTA ahead 5-3. Erik Crichton relieved McIntyre and allowed a
sacrifice fly for a 6-3 Mavs lead before stopping the rally.
ORU answered with a run
in the top of the seventh. Brendan Duffy led off the inning with a
double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored a sac fly by
Minissale as the Golden Eagles pulled within 6-4.
UTA scored again in the
bottom of the seventh for a 7-4 lead and after ORU went in order in
the eighth, the Golden Eagles mounted a rally in the top of the
ninth. A one-out walk to Tim Torres loaded the bases and a
sacrifice fly by Bouchie made it 7-5. But pinch-hitter Travis DeBondt
(Bakersfield, Calif.) lined out to second to end the threat and the
game.
The tournament,
originally schedule for each team to play three games over three
days, had to be adjusted after Illinois State's commercial flight
to Dallas was cancelled due to weather.
--ORU--
