SHREVEPORT, La.�€"Chris Ashman tossed 6.1
solid innings to lead Oral Roberts University to a 5-3 win in game
two and a split of a Mid-Continent Conference doubleheader with
Centenary, Saturday at Shehee Stadium. The Gents won the opening
game 8-7.
Ashman (6-1) allowed
one earned run in picking up his third consecutive win. The junior
right-hander allowed just four hits (all singles) and struck out
five with three walks.
ORU (20-13, 4-1
Mid-Con) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Brendan Duffy led off
with a double and scored on a two-out single by Travis DeBondt. Andy Bouchie knocked
in Chad
Rothford, who walked before DeBondt's single, with a
single of his own.
Pat Warfle's one-out solo
home run in third put the Golden Eagles up 3-0 but the Gents
(16-23, 4-6) stormed back in the bottom of the fifth.
After a leadoff single
by Jimmy Huff and a walk by Alex Maldonado, Ashman threw away
Robbie Knowles' sacrifice bunt attempt, allowing Huff to score from
second and putting Centenary on the board at 3-1.
A sac bunt by Alex
Valdivia put runners on second and third and Ashman walked Tim Ryan
to load the bases. Matt Webb knocked in a run with a fielder's
choice to make it 3-2 before Ashman retired Justin Darr on a ground
out to end the inning.
Tim Torres blasted a
two-run homer over the center field wall in the sixth for a 5-2
lead. Centenary scored a run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of
the seventh before Sean Jarrett slammed the
door for his fourth save.
Bouchie did all he
could in the opener to help the Golden Eagles, slamming a pair of
home runs and driving in four runs, but it wasn't enough.
ORU wasted a 4-0 lead
in game one as the Gents scored seven runs in the bottom of the
fifth. Golden Eagles starter Taylor McIntyre (1-4)
struggled with his control in the fifth and Centenary took
advantage.
McIntyre walked the
lead-off batter and third baseman Carter McQuigg misplayed
Justin Huff's sacrifice attempt for an error, putting runners at
first and second with none out. Matt Webb struck out for the first
out, but Justin Darr, Jimmy Baker and Torey Williams knocked
consecutive RBI singles, trimming ORU's lead to 4-3.
Tim Ryan walked to load
the bases and Erik Crichton relieved and promptly walked the first
two batters he faced to put the Gents up 5-4. Nate Santiago
�€" who led off the inning with a walk
�€" drove in a pair of runs with a single as Centenary
went ahead 7-4. Chance
Chapman relieved Crichton and got a double play liner to
end the inning.
An RBI double by
Rothford in the seventh put the Golden Eagles within 7-5, but
Centenary answered with a single run in the bottom of the inning on
a two-out RBI infield single by Huff.
Tim Torres laced an RBI
single in the eighth to make it an 8-6 game, and Bouchie belted his
second solo home run of the game with two outs in the ninth to pull
ORU within 8-7. But Centenary reliever Cam Feightner struck out
DeBondt to end the game.
McIntyre suffered the
loss in the opener, allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits
with five walks and five strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Kris Calhoun
(2-3) picked up the win in relief.
Bouchie enjoyed a
strong day at the plate, going 6-for-8 with a double, two home runs
and five RBI. Rothford was 4-for-7 with two RBI and two walks.
DeBondt was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in game two.
The Golden Eagles and
Gents conclude their four-game series with a 12 noon doubleheader
on Sunday.
--ORU--
