TULSA�€"Nick Jones tossed the seventh no-hitter in
school history in game two in leading Oral Roberts University to a
doubleheader sweep of Mid-Continent Conference foe Chicago State,
Sunday at J.L. Johnson Stadium. ORU won the opener 6-2 and took the
nightcap 9-0.
Jones (6-3) struck out
nine batters in game two, allowing just a walk in facing the
minimum 21 hitters in the 7-inning affair. He struck out the final
two batters of the game and needed just 79 pitches to subdue the
Cougars (4-27, 0-12 Mid-Con).
The Golden Eagles
(27-13, 10-1 Mid-Con) scored all the runs Jones needed in the first
inning. An RBI groundout by second baseman Jake Kahaulelio and a
run-scoring single by first baseman Chad Rothford put ORU up
2-0.
Designated hitter Andy
Bouchie's two-run homer in the third gave ORU a 4-0 lead. Bouchie
laced an RBI single in the fifth to put ORU up 5-0 and third
baseman Ben Baker's sacrifice fly three batters later gave the
Golden Eagles a 6-0 edge.
All the while Jones was
cruising. He allowed his only base runner of the game when Mid-Con
home run leader John Torres walked leading off the second, but
Jones got a double play grounder from Raven Jackson and struck out
Alex Hall to end the inning.
Kahaulelio took away a
potential hit in the third with a diving grab on Chris Freshour's
pop up to shallow right field.
ORU put the game away
with a three-run sixth inning. Left fielder Travis DeBondt laced an
RBI triple and center fielder Kelly Minissale connected on a
two-run homer as ORU went up 9-0.
In game one, Chris
Ashman (8-1) tossed his second straight complete game in a 6-2
victory.
Right fielder Chris
Duffy, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games in the nightcap,
scored the game's first run on Kahaulelio's double play
grounder.
Up 1-0, ORU added
another run on an RBI single by third baseman Carter McQuigg. A sac
fly by Duffy in the fourth made it 3-0 an Bouchie singled home a
run in the fifth for a 4-0 lead.
Debondt's two-run
double in the sixth gave Ashman and ORU a 6-0 cushion.
The Cougars scored
their first run on an RBI single by Hall in the seventh and scored
an unearned run in the ninth.
Ashman allowed two runs
(one earned) on six hits while walking two and striking out six. He
lowered his season ERA to 1.96.
Bouchie had four hits
and four RBI in the doubleheader, and also scored three runs in the
nightcap. DeBondt also enjoyed a solid afternoon, driving in three
runs. ORU hitters took 18 walks in the doubleheader.
The Golden Eagles
return to action when they visit Southern Utah for a four-game
Mid-Con series, beginning 1 p.m. Friday in Cedar City, Utah.
--ORU--
