The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 4 – Missouri State 0
Records: ORU (17-9), Missouri State (11-12)
Location: Springfield, Mo. (Hammons Field)
Win: Jacob Widener (1-2) | Loss: Forrest Barnes (1-1)
 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Oral Roberts baseball team picked up its seventh win in the last eight games after blanking Missouri State, 4-0, on the road Tuesday night in midweek action from Hammons Field.

Jacob Widener earned his first win of the season after delivering four scoreless innings and striking out seven. In relief, Hudson Hart, Andrew Roach, Evan Kowalski, Dalton Patten and Cade Denton each delivered a scoreless frame. On the night, the Golden Eagle staff struck out 14 Bears en route to their first shutout of the season.

Matt Hogan put ORU on the board in the opening frame with an RBI groundout that allowed Jake McMurray, who led off the contest with a single, to score.

In the fourth, the Bears threatened following a walk and hit-by-pitch with one out. Widener responded with back-to-back strikeouts to keep the Golden Eagles in front, 1-0, and send the game to the fifth.

A Justin Quinn walk followed by a pair of singles from Jonah Cox and Hogan loaded the bases for ORU in the fifth with two outs. The ensuing batter, Mac McCroskey, delivered as the redshirt senior recorded an RBI single up the middle. On the play, a fielding error by the Bears allowed a second Golden Eagle run to cross the plate as the lead grew to 3-0.

In the bottom half of the frame, Missouri State put runners on second and third with no outs. A line out to Holden Breeze, who then touched third for the double play, followed by a pop up ended the Bears' scoring threat.

The Golden Eagles added to their advantage in the eighth as McCroskey, who led off the frame with a triple, came around to score on a wild pitch to make the final 4-0, ORU. 

Inside the Box Score
- ORU tallied seven hits on the night.
- Cox and McCroskey each went 2-for-4 in the win.
- Drew Stahl tallied a game-best two walks.
- As a team, the Golden Eagles walked six times.
- Widener struck out seven over four innings in the start.
- Patten struck out the side in the eighth.
- As a staff, ORU totaled 14 strikeouts.

Notes
- Tuesday's meeting marked the 64th all-time between the two clubs.
- With the win, the Golden Eagles are now 35-29 all-time against the Bears.
- The two sides split their season series, 1-1.
- The shutout was ORU's first of the season.
- Cox has now recorded a hit in 25 of the 26 games this season.
- The junior logged his team-leading 15th multi-hit performance of the year.
- Blaze Brothers extended his on-base streak to 18 straight games.
- Breeze has now reached base in 13 straight games.
- McCroskey logged his 12th multi-hit game of the season and his third in the last four games.
- Denton registered his sixth consecutive scoreless appearance.

Up Next
ORU returns home to J.L. Johnson Stadium March 31-April 2 for a three-game set against Western Illinois.

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