BERKELEY, Calif. �€" California defeated Oral Roberts University, 6-1, to claim the series on Saturday afternoon at Evans Diamond. With the loss, ORU dropped to 11-11 on the year while California improved to 14-13.

 

The Golden Eagles threatened in the first three innings but could not push a run across the board. ORU left seven runners on base, including having bases loaded with two outs in the third.

 

Like yesterday, Cal struck first with a solo home run by Blake Smith over the fence in right center. It was the first hit off Chris Ashman (Hemet, Calif.) resulting in a 1-0 Cal lead. The Golden Bears added another run in the inning, although it was credited as an unearned run against Ashman.

 

ORU cut Cal�€™s lead to 2-1 in the top of the fifth inning with Jake Kahaulelio (Windsor, Calif.) scoring after Stephen Pearson (Petaluma, Calif.) grounded into a double play. Kahaulelio led off the inning with a single to left field and reached third after Chad Rothford (Fresno, Calif.) singled to right.

 

Cal�€™s Stephen Carlson hit a home run over the right field fence in the fifth inning to extend the Golden Bear lead to 3-1. Josh Satin hit a run scoring single later in the inning as Cal went up 4-1.

 

Ashman (1-3) struck out the side in the seventh inning and later tied his career-mark with eight strikeouts in the eighth inning after striking out Cal�€™s Stephen Carlson. The righthander was solid in his fifth start of the year, going 7.1 innings while allowing three earned runs and six hits.

 

Cal added two more insurance runs to make it 6-1 in the bottom of the eighth while facing four different Golden Eagle pitchers.

 

Carlos Luna (Bakersfield, Calif.), Mike Lamb (Bixby, Okla.), and Dale Reneau (Oklahoma City, Okla.) all saw action out of the bullpen for ORU.

 

Kahaulelio went 2-for-4 and the Golden Eagles got hits from Brendan Duffy (Glendale, Ariz.), Rothford, and Stephen Pearson (Petaluma, Calif.).

 

ORU returns to action on Tuesday when they host Arkansas on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. The Razorbacks and Golden Eagles have already met this year in Fayetteville with Arkansas defeating ORU, 10-2.

 

-ORU-