FORT WAYNE, Ind. -- IPFW led 2-0 after two innings but Oral Roberts
University scored three unanswered runs en route in defeating the
Mastadons, 3-2, in Summit League action on Thursday at Masterdons
Field.
With the win, Oral Roberts won their sixth straight game to
improve to 40-12 overall and 21-4 in The Summit League. ORU has now
won at least 40 games in 11 straight seasons while IPFW falls to
14-33-1 and 10-14.
Michael Jarman (9-2) recorded his sixth complete
game of the year and third consecutive. The senior hurler struck
out nine batters, scattered eight hits and allowed two runs, but
none of the runs were earned.
IPFW's Brandon Knowling (7-1) lost for the first time on the year
after allowing three runs in 6.2 innings of action.
The Mastadons manufactured a run in the first inning to grab an
early 1-0 lead. With runners on the corners and one out, IPFW's
Shaun VanDriessche laid down a bunt single, scoring Garrett
Segraves for the game's first run.
IPFW opened up a 2-0 lead in their next at-bat. Yet again, the
Mastadons took advantage of a Golden Eagle miscue to score a run
with two outs on the board.
The Golden Eagles got a run-scoring single by Ben
Petralli in the top of the third inning to slice into IPFW's
lead.
Brendan Duffy singled to left then Kelly
Minissale drew a walk to put runners at first and second for
Petralli. Petralli got a hold of a Knowling pitch and drove it to
the right field for a single that plated Duffy.
ORU managed to push across two runs in the top half of the fourth
to claim their first lead of the game. Dave Genao started the
scoring in the fourth by slugging his eighth home run of the year
over the wall in left field. With two outs and Ryan
Groth on first,
Pat Murray pitch-hit for Kyle
Price and lined a double off the wall in left to score Groth
for the eventual game-winner.
IPFW threatened ORU's lead in the fifth by loading the bases off
Jarman with no outs. However, Jarman was able to strike out two
consecutive batters and then forced Devin Taylor to ground out to
end the threat.
Getting out of the fifth inning was a huge boost of confidence for
Jarman as the hurler did not allow a hit the rest of the game and
only allowed two base runners the last four innings.
Duffy, Groth and Genao all collected two hits to pace the offense.
Duffy's run gave him 189 for his career and moved him into a tie
for sixth with current assistant coach Ryan
Neill in the ORU record books.
ORU and IPFW resume their series tomorrow with a twin bill starting
at 12 p.m. (CDT).
--ORU--
