Box Score | Season Stats

The Basics
Score: Merrimack 1 – Oral Roberts 2
Records: MC (0-1, 0-0 NEC) – ORU (1-0, 0-0 SL)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (J.L. Johnson Stadium)

TULSA, Okla. – Anthony Martinez's RBI, infield single in the bottom of the eighth inning pushed the Oral Roberts baseball team to a 2-1 win over Merrimack in the 2020 season opener Friday night at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

The senior broke a 1-1 tie sliding headfirst into first base after his high chopper allowed Jordan Wiley to score the eventual winning run.

The Golden Eagles wasted no time getting their first run of the season as Ryan Cash crossed home plate on a bases-loaded walk to Caleb Denny with two outs in the first inning. Cash, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, got the offense started sending a single to left leading off the bottom of the first before walks to Wiley and Isaac Coffey loaded the bases.

The Warriors evened the score in the top of the third as the visitors struck for back-to-back singles opening the frame. After ORU starter AJ Archambo was able to get the next two batters, a single to the outfield was mishandled allowing the runner to round third and score making it 1-1.

A line drive off the bat of Adam Oviedo in the seventh nearly gave ORU a lead, only to have Nick Shumski make a leaping grab and end a two-runner threat. The Golden Eagles continued to pressure the Warriors bullpen finally breaking the deadlock in the eighth.

Wiley opened the frame ripping a double through the heavy winds to the wall in right center. Coffey followed by drawing a walk and both runners moved into scoring position on a Denny sacrifice bunt. Martinez delivered the clutch hit with two outs racing down the line to beat the throw.

Kaleb McCullough shut the door on Merrimack in the ninth to save the home victory, 2-1. Colten Weber limited the Warriors attack for four scoreless innings in the middle stages of the game allowing the offense to strike for the go-ahead run, while earning the win on the mound.

Turning Point

Wiley's double to the wall in right kicked the ORU offense into gear in the late stages of the game and the senior transfer came around to score on the two-out RBI from Martinez to move in front, 2-1.

Quote of the Day

"It was one of those days where we just hung in there. We hit a lot of balls hard right at guys, hit into a couple of double plays and had about four first-pitch outs. So we weren't great, but we hung in there and finally got one to fall." – Head Coach Ryan Folmar

Inside the Box Score

- Cash led the offense hitting three singles going 3-for-4 at the plate showing his effectiveness at the lead-off position. He tallied hits to all parts of the field and ended up scoring the first run on the season in the first inning.

- Wiley and Riley Keizor posted the only extra-base hits on a chilly night in south Tulsa hitting doubles to the gaps in right and left, respectively.

- Blake Hall, Adam Oviedo, Coffey and Martinez added singles helping the Golden Eagles out-hit the Warriors by a 9-7 margin.

- Weber (1-0) picked up the win in his ORU debut tossing 4.0 shutout innings from the bullpen holding the Warriors to only two hits. The junior struck out six and walked two. Archambo threw 4.0 innings allowing one unearned run on five hits.

- McCullough earned the save for the Golden Eagles in a scoreless ninth inning giving up just a walk.

- Merrimack played its first official game as a NCAA Division I member Friday after finishing the reclassification process moving from Division II.

Up Next

The Golden Eagles continue the weekend series Saturday playing the Warriors in a doubleheader at J.L. Johnson Stadium starting at noon live on the ORU Sports Network at www.ORUAthletics.com.

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