The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 7 – Western Illinois 2
Records: ORU (19-9, 5-0), Western Illinois (3-19, 0-2)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (J.L. Johnson Stadium)
Win: Harley Gollert (4-1) | Loss: Jake Armstrong (2-3) | Save: Dalton Patten (4)
 
TULSA, Okla. – The Oral Roberts baseball team clinched its third straight series Saturday afternoon after defeating Summit League foe Western Illinois, 7-2, from J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Harley Gollert recorded his League-leading fourth win of the 2023 campaign after allowing one run over 5.2 innings of work. The redshirt senior also totaled six strikeouts on the afternoon. In relief, Dalton Patten picked up his fourth save of the season after tossing 3.1 innings of one-run baseball to go along with four strikeouts.

On offense, Jonah Cox logged his League-leading 17th multi-hit game of the season after finishing 2-for-5 with two RBI. The junior has now recorded a hit in 27 of the 28 games this season for the Golden Eagles. Hogan matched Cox for the team lead in RBI with two after going 2-for-4 from the dish.

For the third straight contest, ORU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. A pair of Leatherneck errors on a Jonah Cox bunt single allowed Justin Quinn, who reached on a single, to come around to score the game's first run.

In the third, Matt Hogan added to the Golden Eagle lead with a solo blast off the top of the batter's eye in center. The long ball was Hogan's second in as many games and League-leading 10th of the year.

The Leathernecks got a run back in the fourth on an RBI fielder's choice, trimming the lead to 2-1.

ORU increased its advantage, 4-1, in the fifth behind back-to-back RBI doubles from Quinn and Cox. Mac McCroskey kept it rolling in the frame with an RBI single as the Golden Eagles pushed their lead to 5-1.

Two more runs crossed the plate in the sixth courtesy of an RBI groundout from Cox followed by an RBI ground-rule double from Hogan as ORU stretched its advantage to 7-1.

In the ninth, the Leathernecks recorded the final run of the afternoon on a solo homer as the Golden Eagles went on to win, 7-2.

Inside the Box Score
- ORU tallied 10 hits in the win.
- The Golden Eagles totaled four doubles on the afternoon.
- Holden Breeze, Cox, Hogan and Quinn each registered two hits on the day.
- Cox and Hogan each drove in a game-best two RBI.
- Quinn scored a game-high three times. 
- Thompson drew a game-best two walks.
- Cox and Quinn each swiped a base in the win.
- On the mound, ORU totaled 10 strikeouts.

Notes
- Saturday's contest marked the 107th meeting all-time between the two clubs.
- With the win, the Golden Eagles are now 89-18 all-time against the Leathernecks and have won eight straight.
- At J.L. Johnson, ORU is 52-5 all-time against Western Illinois.
- With the win, the Golden Eagles claimed their third straight series and have won four consecutive games.
- The 5-0 start in League play is ORU's best since beginning 7-0 in 2017.
- Cox has now registered a hit in 27 of the 28 games this season and logged his team-leading 17th multi-hit contest of the year.
- The junior also extended his hit streak to 12 games.
- Breeze has now reached base safely in 15 straight games.
- McMurray extended his on-base streak to 11 consecutive games and made his 110th consecutive start.

Up Next
ORU will go for the series sweep tomorrow at 1 p.m. from J.L. Johnson Stadium.

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

#GoldenStandard