TULSA-Joe
Spring struck out six over 4.1 shutout innings of relief to
help lead Oral Roberts to a 4-2 win over Summit League foe South
Dakota State, Friday at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
The win pulled the Golden Eagles (27-18 overall, 15-6 Summit)
within one game of the league-leading Jackrabbits (31-14, 16-5)
with three games remaining in the series. ORU is now a season-best
nine games over the .500 mark.
Spring (4-1) came for an ineffective Drew
Bowen to start the fourth. Bowen scuffled during his three
innings of work, allowing two runs on three hits and four walks.
Spring gave up a pair of singles in the fourth and two more hits in
the fifth, but didn't allow a hit the rest of the way. He struck
out the side in the seventh and left after whiffing Daniel Marra to
start the eighth.
ORU grabbed an early 1-0 lead on Cam
Schiller's RBI single in the bottom of the first.
South Dakota State came right back in the top of the second. ORU
starting pitcher Drew
Bowen loaded the bases with none out and hit Marra to force in
a run and tie the game at 1-1. Beau Hanowski followed with a
sacrifice fly to give the Jackrabbits a 2-1 lead.
The Golden Eagles regained the lead in the fourth. Schiller led off
with a single and scored the tying run when Jared
Schlehuber followed with an opposite field double. Bennett
Pickar plated Schlehuber two batters later when he doubled just
inside the third base bag, giving ORU a 3-2 edge.
The Golden Eagles got some help from SDSU's defense to score their
next run. With the bases loaded and one out, Schlehuber lined out
to Jacks starting pitcher Stephen Bougher (4-4) for the second out.
Bougher tried to double up Chris
Elder at first base, but threw wildly for an error, allowing Joey
Winiecki to score from third and make it 4-2.
Spring, Lars
Liguori and Matt
Rush held the Summit League's top offense in check the rest of
the way. With back-to-back left-hande hitters due up, Liguori
relieved Spring with one out in the eighth and promptly induced
consecutive groundouts from Hanowski and Billy Stitz.
Rush tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning, needing only 14 pitches to record
his league-leading ninth save.
The Golden Eagles were limited to just six hits. Schiller was
2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the way.
ORU and SDSU resume their four-game series with a 2 p.m., Saturday,
doubleheader.
Oral Roberts 4, South Dakota
State 2 (May 13, 2011 at Tulsa, Okla.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
South Dakota State.. 020 000 000 - 2 8 1 (31-14, 16-5
Summit)
Oral Roberts........ 100 210 00X - 4 6 0 (27-18, 15-6
Summit)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pitchers: South Dakota State - Stephen Bougher; Austin Busse(6) and
Zach Briggs; Nick Andrews.
Oral Roberts - Drew Bowen; Joe Spring(4); Lars Liguori(8); Matt
Rush(9) and Bennett Pickar.
Win-Joe Spring(4-1) Save-Matt Rush(9) Loss-Stephen Bougher(4-4)
T-2:37 A-501
Game: 45SDSU
--ORU--
