TULSA --
Oral Roberts University completed a three-game sweep of Le Moyne
with a 9-4 victory over the Dolphins, Sunday at J.L. Johnson
Stadium.
The Golden Eagles became the third team in school history to begin
the season with a 7-0 record. ORU also started the 1982 and 1989
seasons with a seven-game winning streak.
With the loss, Le Moyne fell to 2-5 on the young season.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in their first
at-bat. ORU loaded the bases off Le Moyne's starter Jeff Tardiff
(0-2). Brendan Duffy led off with an infield single,
followed by Adam Younger and Ben
Petralli both reaching base on walks. Ryan
Groth hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Duffy for the
game's first run. Then Brian Van Kirk doubled down the left field
line scoring Younger and David Genao plated Petralli on an RBI
single.
Although starter Michael Jarman (2-0) was able to escape a bases
loaded jam undamaged in the first inning, the left-hander loaded
the bases again in the third and was unable to keep the Dolphins
off the scoreboard. Le Moyne's Corey O'Neill singled to center
field scoring Stephen Crawford to make it a 3-1 ORU lead.
The Golden Eagles tallied three more runs in the fifth for a 6-1
advantage. ORU did their damage on a Van Kirk RBI single, an RBI
sacrifice fly by Genao and an RBI single by Michael
Notaro.
Le Moyne was able to get two runs in the top of the sixth to trim
the home team's lead to 6-3.
However, the Golden Eagles punched in three more runs in the home
side of the sixth for a 9-3 edge. Genao provided the Golden Eagles
with the big inning with a three-run double in the gap in right
center. Van Kirk, Petralli and Younger all scored for ORU.
The Dolphins were able to scratch off a single run in the seventh
making it a 9-4 game, but the ORU relievers would not allow any
more runs.
Reliever T.J. Kelly
came in for Brett Carroll in the eighth with the bases loaded and
forced Chris Haynes to strike out. Kelly only allowed a single in
the top of the ninth to close out the game and earn his first save
in a Golden Eagle uniform.
Jarman went five solid innings by only allowing six hits and one
earned run in another good pitching performance by an ORU
starter.
Genao's five RBI was a career-high for the senior catcher and Van
Kirk finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBI.
The Golden Eagles used six different pitchers in the win.
ORU returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Missouri Valley
Conference foe Missouri State in mid-week action at 3
p.m.
--ORU--
