TULSA�€"Three different relievers combined to throw six
scoreless innings and Oral Roberts University received some timely
late-inning offense as the Golden Eagles earned a 4-2 victory and
series sweep over Penn State, Saturday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Relievers Marcus Tackett (2-1), Jerry
Sullivan and Chance Chapman combined to
scatter six hits in their six innings of work, striking out three
and walking three in relief of starter Kelly
Minissale, who was making his first career start.
Tackett
blanked the Nittany Lions (2-12) over four innings, and Sullivan
and Chapman followed with a scoreless frame apiece. Chapman worked
around a two-out double in the ninth to earn his
season�€™s first save.
Penn
State took an early 2-0 lead, scoring a pair of runs in the top of
the third against Minissale. Rick Marlin led of the inning with a
double and advanced to third on an error by rightfielder
Stephen Pearson. Louie Picconi knocked in Marlin
with a grounder to short for a 1-0 lead. Three straight singles
following Picconi�€™s groundout led to the second
run and a 2-0 lead.
Penn
State�€™s Scott Gaffney stifled the Golden Eagles
(10-9) through the first five innings, allowing just three hits and
striking out four on 66 pitches. But the Golden Eagles broke
through in the sixth, taking a 3-2 lead via the long
ball. Jake Kahaulelio tied the game with
a two-run shot to left-center, and Pearson gave ORU the lead with a
solo shot to straightaway right field three batters later.
The
Golden Eagles touched Gaffney for another run in the bottom of the
seventh when Tyler Warmerdam�€™s
one-out double scored Pat Warfle for a 4-2
lead.
Gaffney
(1-2) tossed seven innings for Penn State, allowing all four ORU
runs on seven hits. He struck out eight batters and walked two.
Penn
State banged out 11 hits, including six against Minissale in three
innings. Marlin and Brian Ernst led the Nittany Lions with three
hits each.
The
Golden Eagles managed just seven hits, with Kahaulelio leading the
way with a 2-for-3, 2-RBI effort.
ORU
opens a three-game series at Cal, 6 p.m., Thursday in Berkley,
Calif.
--ORU--
