The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 7 – St. Thomas 6
Records: ORU (29-14,12-4), St. Thomas (12-25, 6-10)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (J.L. Johnson Stadium)
Win: Cade Denton (3-0) | Loss: T.J. Constertina (2-3)
 
TULSA, Okla. – For the third time this season, Jake McMurray played the hero for the Oral Roberts baseball team as the junior lifted the Golden Eagles past Summit League foe St. Thomas, 7-6, with a walk-off RBI double in the 10th inning Friday night at J.L. Johnson Stadium. The walk-off victory was the third of the season for ORU, who has now won six straight contests.

After an RBI single from Caleb Denny in the ninth sent the game to extras tied, 6-6, Alec Jones jumpstarted things in the 10th with a leadoff single up the middle. The sophomore came around to score the winning run a batter later as McMurray ripped a one-out RBI double to left-center, capping off a four-run come-from-behind victory for the Golden Eagles. McMurray's walk-off was his second of the year and third game-winning hit.

Cade Denton earned the win in relief after tossing a scoreless 10th and striking out two. The sophomore improved to 3-0 on the year and has now thrown 21 consecutive scoreless innings. In 19 relief appearances this season, Denton has struck out at least two batters 14 times. 

For the second straight contest, Denny homered on the first pitch he saw in the first inning to put ORU on top, 1-0. The long ball was Denny's team-leading eighth of the season, setting a new career-high.

After two scoreless frames from Evan Kowalski to start the game, the Tommies got to the junior in the third as Ben Vujovich put St. Thomas in front, 4-1, with a grand slam to right-center.

Mac McCroskey led off the fifth with a triple to right-center and ultimately scored on the play due to a throwing error by the Tommies shortstop, cutting the deficit to two, 4-2.

St. Thomas answered in the sixth with two runs to extend their advantage, 6-2.

The Golden Eagles chipped into the Tommies' lead, 6-3, in the seventh as Denny plated Connor Beichler with an RBI single to left. 

Pressure on the base paths in the eighth led to ORU's fourth run of the night as Joshua Cox, who stole second in the frame, scored on a passed ball followed by a throwing error by the catcher to trim the deficit to 6-4.

In the ninth, McMurray led off the frame with a solo shot to right to cut the St. Thomas lead to one, 6-5. The home run was the Tulsa, Okla., native's first of the season.

McCroskey followed with a single through the right side and advanced to second on a balk. The redshirt junior came around to score on the Denny RBI single to tie the game, 6-6.

Inside the Box Score
- Denny finished the night 3-for-4 at the dish to go along with a team-high three RBIs.
- McMurray went 2-for-5 at the plate in the win and drove in two runs.
- Holden Breeze, Cox and McCroskey each tallied two hits in the victory.
- Eight of the nine batters in the lineup for ORU recorded a hit.
- On the base paths, Jackson Loftin, Beichler, Cox and Denny each swiped a bag.
- Loftin stole his 20th of the season in the seventh. The 20 steals are the most by a Golden Eagle since 2011.
- Evan Kowalski got the start for the Golden Eagles and allowed four runs in five innings.
- AJ Archambo allowed two runs, one earned, in four strong innings of relief and struck out five.
- Denton tossed his 21st consecutive scoreless frame and struck out two en route to the win.
- With the scoreless frame, the Rowlett, Texas, native lowered his ERA to a microscopic 0.56.
 
Notes
- The win was the sixth straight for the Golden Eagles.
- Friday's series opener marked the first meeting all-time between ORU and St. Thomas.
- Against first-time opponents this season, the Golden Eagles are now 4-2.
- ORU is now 3-0 in extra-inning games this season.
- On the year, the Golden Eagles are now 5-3 in one-run games.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles will go for the series win over the Tommies tomorrow afternoon as game two is scheduled for 2 p.m.

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