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Box Score 2
TULSA, Okla.-After a tough 4-3, 10-inning loss to North Dakota
State sent them to the loser's bracket, Oral Roberts rebounded to
top Oakland 3-2 in the elimination game to advance to the Summit
League Championship game for the 15th consecutive
time.
ORU (35-23) will face the Bison again at 1 p.m. on Saturday. A
North Dakota State win would crown the Bison as 2012 Tournament
champions, while an ORU win would force a winner-take-all contest
immediately following the conclusion of the first game.
North Dakota State 4 - Oral Roberts 3 (10
Innings)
Starter Alex
Gonzalez was rolling early and had a no-hitter going through
five innings as the Golden Eagles built a 3-0 lead in the first
game of the day.
A Jared
Schlehuber single and Brandon
King walk put runners on in the second inning. Kevin
Cho plated one run on a single up the middle, while Pickar
dropped down a squeeze bunt to score another, giving ORU a 2-0
lead.
Logan
Domenico started the fifth inning with a single and would come
around to score on a Jose
Trevino double.
Despite additional chances with runners in scoring position, the
Golden Eagles failed to score another insurance run, leaving nine
runners on base in the game.
It finally caught up in the bottom of the eighth as the Bison
strung together back-to-back doubles to start the inning. After a
throwing error put three straight runners on, and forced Gonzalez
from the game. Back-to-back singles tied the game before reliever
Joe
Spring was able to get a strike out and fly out to end the
inning.
In the bottom of the 10th, Max Casper started a NDSU
rally with a leadoff single. Squaring to sacrifice, Tim Colwell
slapped the ball in the hole at short for a single instead, and
Nick Colwell completed the sacrifice to move Casper over to third.
Wes Satzinger ended the game with a deep fly ball that scored
Casper to send the Bison to the championship game for the first
time.
Spring (5-2) took the loss on the mound for ORU, giving up just
one run in 2.2 innings of work. Kyle Kingsley was the winning
pitcher (7-3), after going 2.0 innings without giving up a hit for
Oakland.
No one for ORU had more than one hit, while Tim Colwell and
Casper each had a pair of base-knocks for North Dakota State.
Oral Roberts 3 - Oakland 2
In game two, Oakland took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the
first as they took advantage of a leadoff walk and a passed ball to
score Tim Ryan on a Mike Carson sacrifice fly. ORU found the answer
in the bottom half of the inning as a Domenico leadoff double led
to a run on a sacrifice fly by Schlehuber.
With a pair of runners on in each of the second and third
innings, ORU had an opportunity to take the lead but could not.
Oakland moved back on top 2-1 in the fourth when the Golden
Grizzlies strung together three singles to plate Carson, who led
off the inning by driving one up the middle.
ORU was in business in the bottom of the sixth after the first
two batters in the inning-Cam
Schiller and Brandon
King-were hit. A sacrifice bunt from Bennett
Pickar put them at second and third with just one out. Kevin
Cho took advantage, knocking one through the hole on the left
side, scoring two runs after the ball bounced off the OU fielder's
glove and into left field. As the OU pitcher collided with a player
behind the plate, interference was called and Cho was called out on
the play. The Golden Eagles would not plate another run, but took
the 3-2 lead on the play.
Oakland loaded the bases in the top of the seventh but a high
fastball by reliever Matt Rush got Carson swinging and got ORU out
of the jam with the lead intact.
Trying to add some insurance, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases
again in the eighth but could not plate a run, send the game to the
ninth inning.
Rush held the lead and survived to advance to the championship
game for the 15th year in a row.
Starter Kurt
Giller earned the victory (6-4) while Rush earned his fourth
save of the season. Hayden Fox (2-7) took the loss for OU after
going 5.2 innings and giving up eight hits.
Schiller and Nate
Goro each had a pair of hits for ORU, with Schlehuber and Cho
earning an RBI each.
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