TULSA-Bryce
Smolen tossed a five hitter and Oral Roberts banged out 15 hits
in a 10-0 victory over Oakland in the Summit League opener for both
teams, Friday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Smolen (3-2)
retired 19 of the final 20 batters he faced, posting a career-high
10 strikeouts. The win evened ORU's season record at 13-13.
The Golden
Eagles wasted no time in taking control of the game. ORU sent 10
batters to the plate in the first, scoring four runs on five hits.
Nick Baligod, Robert
Barbosa and P.J. Sequeira each delivered
run-scoring hits, with Barbosa's being a two-run triple.
Seth
Furmanek added to the lead in the fifth when his solo home run
made it 5-0. Sequeira doubled two batters later and scored on Colby
Price's single as ORU went up 6-0.
ORU put the
game out of reach in the seventh inning. Baligod drew a two-out,
bases-loaded walk to make it 7-0 and Tyler
Saladino followed with a two-run single for a 9-0 lead. Tyler
Garewal lined a run-scoring single as the Golden Eagles took a
10-0 advantage.
After
struggling over his first three innings, Smolen dominated the
Golden Grizzlies (5-16) from the fourth inning on. He struck out
four of the last six batters he faced and allowed only an infield
single in the sixth after settling down.
Sequeira
paced ORU's offensive attack with three hits, including a pair of
doubles. He scored twice and knocked in a run. Saladino, Furmanek
and Price collected two hits apiece.
Connor
Mielock (1-4) suffered the loss for Oakland, allowing six runs on
10 hits in five innings.
The series
continues on Saturday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader.
--ORU--