TULSA –-
Michael Notaro knocked in three runs and Brendan
Duffy went 4-for-4 with two RBI as Oral Roberts University
completed a three-game sweep of BYU with a 12-5 victory on Saturday
at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
With the sweep, the Golden Eagles improved to 16-6 on the year and
10-1 at home while BYU dropped to 12-5.
For the second day in a row, the Golden Eagles grabbed an early
lead by scoring three runs in their first at-bat. ORU scored a pair
of runs in the inning on a passed ball, sandwiched around a Michael
Notaro RBI double.
ORU then tagged BYU with six runs in the second for a 9-0 lead.
The Golden Eagles chased BYU's starter Tyler Westensee (1-2) out of
the game with just one out in the second after a Duffy single
loaded the bases.
Jake Wortham relieved Westensee and allowed three earned runs.
With the bases loaded,
Kelly Minissale reached on a fielder's
choice as
Colby Price scored from third, but then a
throwing error by BYU's second basemen allowed Juan
Martinez to race around from second to score what turned out to
be the game-winning run. Notaro added a two-RBI single while David
Genao and
Ryan Groth also each plated runs on RBI
singles.
BYU looked to rally from the nine-run deficit with a four-run
fourth. All of the damage was done off starter Andre
Lamontagne as BYU's Sean McNaughton and Dan Vargas homered in
the inning.
ORU scored a single run in the home side of the fourth on Colby
Price's RBI single to left field scoring Groth.
The Cougars managed a run in the top of the fifth to make it a
10-5 game, but that is all BYU would get.
Carlos Luna (5-0) relieved Mark
Serrano before the fifth inning and was credited with the win
after not allowing a single run and only two hits in four
innings.
Lamontagne finished the day with four runs allowed on four hits and
two strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work.
Eight different Golden Eagles recorded a hit as ORU pounded out a
total of 14 hits in the game. It was ORU's ninth game this season
with at least 10 hits.
BYU's Westensee allowed six runs – three earned – and
three hits in 1.1 innings in a losing effort.
ORU returns to action with a mid-week game against regional rival
Wichita State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
--ORU--
