Box Score | Season Stats | 2018 Schedule

The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 11 – North Dakota State 8
Records: ORU (28-15, 17-5 Summit League) – NDSU (18-20, 9-11 Summit League)
Location: Fargo, N.D. (Newman Outdoor Field)

FARGO, N.D. – A five-run fourth inning propelled the Oral Roberts baseball team to an 11-8 victory at North Dakota State in game one of a weekend series Friday night at Newman Outdoor Field.

Cal Hernandez gave the Golden Eagles offense a spark from the No. 2 spot in the lineup posting a 4-for-6 day with three runs scored. ORU extended its lead in The Summit League standings registering 16 hits by eight different players.

ORU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the first before the Bison responded in the bottom half of the frame scoring four times. The teams traded leads again in the third before the big inning from the Golden Eagles in the fourth gave the visitors control of the ballgame.

Quote of the Day

"I thought the difference was this: obviously not a really good start for Josh, but he hung in there and found a way to knock out five innings. That's huge for a weekend. When you talk about a weekend series and trying to help your bullpen out, I thought those couple of innings on the back end of his start were really big for us." – Head Coach Ryan Folmar

Turning Point

A lead-off walk to Brody Gibson started the top of the fourth before the next six batters all reached base with hits. Harrison Smith doubled to put two runners in scoring position and Nick Roark, Hernandez, Cummings and Henson followed with RBI singles to break the game open. Andrew Pace capped the momentum-swinging inning by ripping a RBI double as ORU pushed its advantage to 10-6 and held on for the road win.

Inside the Box Score

- Hernandez finished with a career-high four hits starting the night 4-for-4 with three singles and a double. The switch hitter had two hits from the left side and added two from the right side against the Bison and scored three times.

- Henson put together six productive plate appearances recording three RBI on a 2-for-3 performance with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Nick Rotola added three hits, a RBI and a stolen base, while Pace returned to the lineup with two hits and two RBI.

- Noah Cummings delivered a RBI single in the fourth moving into a tie for third in ORU history for all-time RBI at 188. He reached base five times, twice via single, twice on errors and scored twice for the Golden Eagles.

- ORU starting pitcher Josh McMinn found his rhythm after a tough first inning as he settled in during a five-inning outing. The junior allowed five earned runs on six hits and struck out four earning the victory.

- The Golden Eagles' bullpen trio of Colton Larkins, Grant Townsend and Kyler Stout tossed the final four innings and kept the Bison to just two runs on three hits. Stout forced three fly outs to pick up his Summit League leading 11th save of the year.

Up Next

ORU and NDSU meet again Saturday afternoon at Newman Outdoor Field as the series continues with game two at 1 p.m. Catch all the action live on the ORU Sports Network with audio coverage.

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