MACOMB, Ill.-Oral Roberts beat the darkness and Western Illinois
for a 5-2 win in game two, earning a split of a Summit League
doubleheader on Saturday at Boyer Stadium. The Leathernecks took
the opener, 13-5.
In game one, ORU got off to a terrific start by scoring three runs
in the top of the third. Six straight batters reached with one out
as the Golden Eagles received run-scoring hits by Brandon
King, Chris
Elder (double) and T.J.
Bennett to take a 3-0 lead.
But the wheels started to come off for ORU in the bottom of the
first. The Leathernecks took advantage of three errors to score
five runs and take a 5-3 lead.
Reliever Alec
Smith, who came on for an ineffective Bryce
Smolen (2-3) in the first inning, hit a pair of batters in the
second inning and was victimized by yet another ORU error as the
Leathernecks scored twice to take a 7-3 lead.
Western extended its lead to 10-3 with three runs in the third.ORU
never seriously threatened the rest of the game.
Game two was a much different story for both teams, as runs were at
a premium in the contest scheduled as a seven-inning affair.
ORU didn't mount much offense early on but did take a 1-0 lead in
the third. WIU starting pitcher Ryan Wachholder loaded the bases on
a single and two walks, and Nick
Baligod eventually scored the game's first run on a wild pitch.
ORU missed out on an opportunity to expand the lead when Chris
Williams lined into an inning-ending double play.
Alex
Gonzalez cruised through the first five innings, facing no more
than four batters in any inning, until running into trouble in the
sixth. Gonzalez allowed a one-out single to Matt Igara, who moved
to second after a walk by John Kozulinski. A passed ball by ORU
catcher Brett
Burch moved the runners up one base, and Igara scored the tying
run on a grounder to first by Tom Lilja.
After struggling most of the game the Golden Eagles finally broke
through in extra innings, scoring four runs in the top of the
ninth. Cam
Schiller's one-out single up the middle scored Brandon
King with the go-ahead run. Brett
Sowers followed with an RBI groundout to give ORU a 3-1 lead.
Consecutive walks to Brandon
Healy and T.J.
Bennett loaded the bases, and Spencer
Barnett and Joey
Winiecki laced back-to-back RBI singles as ORU went up,
5-1.
With darkness looming in the bottom of the ninth Matt
Rush, who relieved Gonzalez in the seventh, limited the
Leathernecks to one run in the frame to secure the victory.
Gonzalez pitched six solid innings for ORU, allowing one unearned
run on six hits and three walks while striking out four. Rush
picked up his first win of the season by tossing three innings and
striking out four without a walk.
ORU won game two despite leaving 15 runners on base. Winiecki,
Elder and Barnett each collected two hits for the Golden Eagles
The Golden Eagles and Leathernecks wrap up their four-game series
Sunday at noon.
--ORU--
