TULSA-Nick Baligod collected four hits and four RBI and Chris Elder laced a game-ending two-run double as Oral Roberts opened Summit League play with an 11-1 run-rule victory over Centenary, Friday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Baligod finished 4-for-4 with a pair of doubles, scored a run and recorded a stolen base in his finest game of the season to help the Golden Eagles (12-11 overall, 1-0 Summit) climb back over .500 for the first time in nearly a month.

The Golden Eagles took an early lead, scoring two runs in the bottom first. Baligod laced a run-scoring single, and Brandon King followed with an RBI groundout for a 2-0 lead.

ORU broke it open with six runs in the bottom of the second as the Golden Eagles sent 11 batters to the plate. Cam Schiller ripped a three-run single, Baligod added a two-run double and King capped the scoring with an RBI single as ORU grabbed an 8-0 lead.

Baligod knocked in his fourth run of the game with another double in the third to make it a 9-0 game.

Centenary scored its only run on a Tyler Sparks wild pitch in the sixth inning.

With ORU leading 9-1 in the bottom of the seventh and needing two runs to end the game via run rule, Joey Winiecki led off with a single and Schiller followed with a walk. With the runners going, Elder lined a 3-2 pitch into the right field corner, easily scoring both base runners and sending ORU to victory.

The Golden Eagles banged out 13 hits against three Gents (3-14, 0-1) pitchers. Winiecki, Elder and King had two each, and Winiecki and Schiller each scored three times.

Sparks (2-0) picked up the win by tossing 3.0 innings of one-run, three-hit relief. He struck out four and didn't walk a batter after coming on in relief of Bryce Smolen to start the fourth.

Seth Lugo (2-4) took the loss for Centenary after allowing eight runs on six hits in 1.2 innings.

The Golden Eagles and Gents resume their three-game series on Saturday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader.

--ORU--