CEDAR CITY,
Utah�€"Chad Rothford and Carter McQuigg each
hit a pair of home runs in the opening game as Oral Roberts
University split a Mid-Continent Conference doubleheader with
Southern Utah, Saturday at Thunderbird Park. ORU won the opener
11-5 while
Southern Utah took the night cap, 4-3.
The Golden Eagles
(30-14 overall, 13-2 Mid-Con) played the doubleheader without the
services of right fielder and lead-off hitter Brendan Duffy, who stayed
behind at the team hotel with a stomach virus. He wasn't needed in
the opener but was missed in game two.
McQuigg, who shifted
over from his normal third base position and played second with a
rearranged lineup, started the long ball parade in the top of the
second, connecting for a two-run homer to give ORU a 2-0 lead.
After Southern Utah
scored two runs in the bottom of the second, Rothford hit the first
of two home runs on the day, blasting a three-run shot to the
opposite field for a 5-2 lead. McQuigg followed three batters later
with a two-run blast and a 7-2 lead.
An RBI double by
Rothford in the fifth put ORU ahead 8-2, and Rothford led off the
seventh with a solo shot to give ORU a 9-2 lead.
Daniel Greenwalt (4-2)
picked up the win by tossing 7.0 solid innings, allowing three runs
on 10 hits while striking out five and walking just one.
McQuigg and Rothford
combined for five hits and nine RBI in the opener.
Game two saw the Golden
Eagles jump out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Four
consecutive two-out singles gave ORU the lead. Tim Torres and Kelly Minissale each
had RBI base hits.
But ORU starter Nick Jones (6-4)
couldn't hold the lead. Southern Utah erupted for four runs in the
bottom of the third, highlighted by Jeff Oliverson's three-run
double. Oliverson's hit gave the T-Birds (24-25, 9-11) their first
and only lead of the entire weekend.
ORU was held in check
by Southern Utah starter Matt Wilson (5-4) until the Golden Eagles
broke through with a run in the top of the sixth. McQuigg walked
with one out and moved to second a single by Ben Baker. Brian Aguailar
laced a single to center, scoring McQuigg to make it 4-3 and
chasing Wilson from the game.
But that was all the
Golden Eagles could muster in the 7-inning affair as they lost
their second conference game of the season and only the
20th in their nine seasons in the Mid-Con.
Jones, who last weekend
tossed a no-hitter against Chicago State, was roughed up four four
runs on seven hits in 5.0 innings.
Torres and Baker had
two hits apiece for ORU in game two as the Golden Eagles pounded
out nine hits. In the four game series, ORU's offense collected 67
hits, including nine home runs.
ORU returns to action
at Oklahoma State, 7 p.m., Tuesday.
--ORU--
