SHREVEPORT,
La.-Oral Roberts lost the opening game of its Summit League
doubleheader to Centenary, 17-7, but led 4-1 in the top of the
fifth inning of game two when weather halted the contest, Saturday
at Sheehee Stadium. The halted game will resume at 11:30 a.m. on
Sunday.
In the
opener Centenary (24,-19, 13-4) took an early 3-0 lead in the
bottom of the first. Cliff Sheppard knocked in a pair of runs with
a single and Tell Ross followed two batters later with a
run-scoring groundout for the third run.
Seth
Furmanek homered leading off the second to pull ORU (27-23,
14-8) within 3-1, but the Gents made it 6-1 with three more runs in
the bottom of the inning, with two runs scoring on bunts.
ORU tied the
game with a 6-run third inning. Nick Baligod blasted a
three-run home run and two more runs scored on errors to help ORU
tied the game at 6-6.
But it all
came apart of the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the third.
Centenary exploded for eight runs off Furmanek and reliever Jameson
Dunn as the Gents grabbed a 14-6 lead. A two-out error by ORU
second baseman Colby
Price helped Centenary scored three of its runs in the
inning.
The Golden
Eagles fought back in the top of the sixth as the first three
batters reached but an opportunity for a big inning was wasted.
After Nick Baligod's RBI single
made it 14-7 the next three batters each made outs against reliever
Derek Dalzell.
Centenary
scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh on a two-out,
two-run single by Conald Mansfield to make it 16-7. The Gents ended
the game in the seventh when Alex Todd hit a one-out, bases loaded
single for a 17-7 score.
In game two
junior Bryce Smolen was giving ORU
a much-needed strong pitching performance and the Golden Eagles
were enjoying a productive game at the plate before play was halted
in the top of the fifth of the seven-inning affair.
The Golden
Eagles scored an unearned run in the third inning to take a 1-0
lead, and added another run in the fourth on a Brett Sowers double
for a 2-0 lead.
Smolen
retired nine of the first 10 batters he faced before allowing a run
in the bottom of the fourth on two singles, a wild pitch and a
ground out.
ORU added
two more runs before rain and lightning halted the game in the
fifth. Joey
Winiecki walked and Tyler
Saladino singled to start the inning. Nick Baligod followed
Saladino with an RBI single for a 3-1 lead and Furmanek singled to
load the bases. Chris Elder followed with a
sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead and the game was halted shortly
thereafter.
The game
will resume on Sunday with one out and runners at first and
second.
Sunday's
regularly scheduled game will begin approximately 25 minutes after
the conclusion of the halted game.
--ORU--
