TULSA-Oral
Roberts broke open a one run game by scoring seven runs in the
bottom of the eighth on its way to a 12-4 win over North Dakota,
Friday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Clinging to
a 5-4 lead, ORU (8-10) sent 12 batters to the plate in the eighth.
ORU loaded the bases with two outs on an error and a pair of walks,
and the next seven batters reached base. Tyler
Saladino , Robert Barbosa, P.J.
Sequeira and Justin Mitchell each knocked
in runs with Barbosa driving in three on a double. Another run
scored on a passed ball, and ORU led 12-4.
Spencer
Roberts set down the Fighting Sioux (1-10) in order in the
ninth to close it out.
The Golden
Eagles grabbed an early 1-0 lead when Nick Baligod knocked in Bennett
Pickar with an infield single in the third inning. ORU
stretched the lead to 3-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth on a
base loaded walk and an error by the left fielder.
North Dakota
got on the board in the top of the sixth without benefit of a hit.
With one out ORU starter Drew Bowen (2-2) walked two
batters. Colby
Price misplayed a groundball for the Fighting Sioux's first
run, and Jake Magner's sacrifice fly two batters later made it
3-2.
ORU extended
its lead to 5-2 on Chris Elder's two-run double
in the bottom of the sixth, but North Dakota scored two of its own
in the top of the seventh. Back-to-back RBI single by Jabby Bakhit
and Josh Lagein helped trim ORU's lead to 5-4.
Baligod's
strong defensive play helped ORU keep the lead when North Dakota
threatened in the top of the eighth. With runners on first and
second, UND's Josh Lay laced a single to right and Baligod threw
out Ridge Halenar at home to preserve the lead.
The Golden
Eagles finished with 14 hits, including two each by Winiecki,
Baligod, Sequeira and Pickar. Elder knocked in three runs and three
players scored twice.
Bowen earned
the victory despite a somewhat shaky outing. The sophomore
right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) without allowing a hit
in 5.2 innings. But he walked four and threw a wild pitch, and left
the game after throwing 87 pitches.
North Dakota
used five pitchers, including four during the seven-run eighth.
Derek Biermaier (0-4) took the loss by allowing five runs in 5.1
innings.
The Golden
Eagles and Fighting Sioux continue their three-game series at 2
p.m., Saturday.
--ORU--
