The Basics 
Score: Oral Roberts 3 - No. 13 Mississippi State 1
Records: MSU (12-5-1) - ORU (8-8)
Location: Dudy Noble Field - Starkville, Miss.

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Sophomore pitcher Cale Tims made his first career start for the Oral Roberts baseball team and it will be one that he will remember as ORU knocked off No. 13 Mississippi State, 3-1, on the road Wednesday night at Dudy Noble Field. 

Tims, a Jenks, Oklahoma native, came into the game going just one inning, six times in his career. The right-hander set a new mark Wednesday, going five complete innings, giving up just four hits and striking out six Bulldog batters on his way to his first win of the season.

The Golden Eagles (8-8) struck early as hot-hitting Noah Cummings put ORU on top in the second with a solo home run to left field. The right fielder finished the game as the only ORU player to have more than one base hit. 

Mississippi State (12-5-1) answered the call in the third with a two-out single through the right side that scored Ryan Gridley who started the inning with a walk, Tims' only walk of the day.

That would be all the Bulldogs' offense would get in the game as the Oral Roberts bullpen came out to send a message. In total, the Golden Eagles used three relievers in Nathan Garza, Grant Glaze and Brady Womacks. 

The Golden Eagles answered back in the sixth as junior Sam Grellner picked up a pinch-hit double to score Rolando Martinez from second to take the lead once again. 

Colorado Springs, Colorado native Brent Williams added an insurance run in the eighth as he drove in Martinez from second after he was able to reach base on a hit-by-pitch and move into scoring position on a wild pitch. 

The Oral Roberts defense stood strong behind its pitching, turning three double plays on the night, including one in the sixth after Garza allowed a leadoff walk to MSU. In all, Garza went one inning, allowing only one hit in his best performance of the season. 

Glaze, who was coming off the heels of a stint in the team's loss at Jacksonville State on Tuesday tossed two scoreless innings of one hit baseball as he held onto the lead for Womacks who retired the side in the ninth for his fourth save of the season. 

Jared Padgett (0-1) would take the loss for the Bulldogs as he gave up the go-ahead run in the sixth innings in Mississippi State's staff day on the mound. 

Notables

• Rolando Martinez scored two runs in the game. He finished 0-for-1 but reached base twice via a walk and once on a hit-by-pitch.
• Cummings' home run in the second inning was the first of the season and sixth of his career.
• Tims recorded a career high in both innings pitched (5.0) and strikeouts (6). He struck out the side in the first. 
• The Golden Eagles turned three double plays in the game. 
• Matt Whatley's reached base streak of 17 games came to a close after the sophomore went 0-for-4 at the dish. 

Up Next
The Golden Eagles will make their way home this weekend to open up Summit League play as the team plays host to South Dakota State in a three-game set. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. Friday night at J.L. Johnson Stadium. 

For the latest information on ORU baseball, follow @ORUBaseball on Twitter or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the Golden Eagles Front Row App at ORUAthletics.com/frontrow or in the App Store.

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