Box Score | Season Stats | 2017 Schedule

The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 8 - South Dakota State 6
Records: ORU (27-10, 15-1 SL) – SDSU (15-18, 8-8 SL)
Location: Brookings, S.D. (Erv Huether Field)

BROOKINGS, S.D. – Grant Glaze put together a masterful performance from the bullpen as the Oral Roberts baseball team held off South Dakota State in an 8-6, Summit League victory Friday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.

Glaze took the mound in a tough spot with two runners on base in the second inning, after a short start from ORU's Justin McGregor, the conference leader in earned run average. The senior posted a career outing striking out seven Jackrabbits in five complete innings of long relief earning the win for the Golden Eagles.

Matt Whatley helped the visitors to a quick, four-run top of the first blasting a three-run home run into left, his seventh of the season. Brent Williams notched the eventual winning run in the top of the third on a bases-loaded walk to Nick Roark and the ORU bullpen shut down the SDSU offense for the final seven innings.

In a wild opening start, the teams combined for 13 runs and 13 hits in the first two and a half innings trading leads back-and-forth.

Turning Point

After the Jackrabbits took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the second, the Golden Eagles answered right back with two runs of their own in the third. Dylan Snypes and Williams started with walks before Trevor McCutchin ripped a RBI single up the middle to even the score, 6-6. Sam Grellner was hit by a pitch to load the bases chasing the SDSU starting pitcher. Roark delivered the go-ahead run by watching ball four sail past him in a full count.

Inside the Box Score
- Glaze (3-0) retired the final 10 Jackrabbit hitters he faced, allowing just one hit and two walks. He tallied a career-high seven strikeouts, including four straight in the fourth and fifth innings.

- Whatley matched his season-high with four RBI, adding a run-scoring, ground-rule double to the wall in left center for a 5-4 advantage in the second. He and McCutchin finished the day with a team-best, 2-for-4 performance at the plate.

- ORU added an insurance run in the top of the eighth started by a lead-off single from McCutchin. After a sacrifice bunt from Grellner moved him into scoring position, Trent Shelton took his place as a pinch runner. The junior reached third on a balk before crossing home plate on a sacrifice fly from Roark, his second RBI of the contest.

- Kyler Stout closed out his Summit League-leading seventh save of the season allowing a pair of bloop singles in a scoreless ninth inning. McCutchin, Spencer Henson and Bryce Howe also pitched shutout efforts from the Golden Eagles pen.

- SDSU finished the afternoon out-hitting ORU by a 13-9 margin.

Up Next

The Golden Eagles continue their weekend road trip to South Dakota State as game two of the series is set for 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Catch the action with live audio on the ORU Sports Network.

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