TULSA-Alex Gonzalez struck out 13 batters in a complete game effort, leading Oral Roberts to an 8-2 win over Bethune-Cookman, Friday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Gonzalez (2-1) dominated the Wildcats (8-8), allowing just one earned run. During one stretch midway through the game Gonzalez struck out eight consecutive batters.

The Golden Eagles (5-5) jumped all over the Wildcats early, scoring all of their runs in the first two innings against B-CU starter Patrick Goelz (1-3). Brandon King rapped a two-run double in the first inning and Chris Elder followed with an RBI single as ORU took a 3-0 lead.

In the second, Nick Baligod started a five-run frame with an RBI single. King followed with his own run-scoring single, and Elder knocked in a pair of runs with a double as ORU gained a 7-0 advantage. T.J. Bennett capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly for an 8-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez was cruising. After hitting a batter with one out in the second, the freshman right-hander retired Matt Wright on a fly ball to left before starting his string of strikeouts by whiffing Brashad Johnson to end the inning.

Gonzalez struck out the side in the third and fourth innings, and opened the fifth by fanning Nick Johnson for his eighth consecutive strikeout. Gonzalez worked out of his only serious jam in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, he induced a pop up from preseason All-American Peter O'Brien and struck out Emmanuel Castro to end the threat.

The Wildcats scored an unearned run in the seventh, and plated a two-out run in the ninth.

Four Golden Eagles collected two hits apiece as ORU knocked 11 hits on the night. King, Elder, Cam Schiller and Joey Winiecki each had a pair of hits while Spencer Barnett, Baligod and King each scored twice.

In tossing his first career complete game, Gonzalez allowed five hits and walked a pair. Goelz allowed seven runs (six earned) on five hits in 1.1 innings for the Wildcats.

The Golden Eagles and Wildcats continue their three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m.

--ORU--