ORU completes Tulsa Two-Step

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TULSA, Okla. – South Dakota State battled to the bitter end in both games of a Summit League baseball doubleheader Saturday at Oral Roberts, but came up on the short end by scores of 16-12 and 4-3. The second game of the twinbill was decided in 11 innings.

ORU improved to 11-6 overall and 3-0 in league play in sweeping the three-game set. The Jackrabbits fell to 2-17 overall and 0-3 in The Summit League.

Game 1

• Oral Roberts 16, SDSU 12

Just as they did the night before, the Golden Eagles scored runs in bunches. ORU scored five times in the second inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Spencer Henson, and tallied three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings on respective three-run shots by Noah Cummings and Jared Montoya.

Newt Johnson accounted for the first three Jackrabbits runs by connecting on a pair of home runs off reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Year Miguel Ausua. A senior third baseman from Rapid City, Johnson hit a solo home run to lead off the second inning, then added a two-run blast to left field in the third, driving in Josh Falk ahead of him.

Trailing 14-3 and facing having the game end early via the 10-run rule entering the seventh inning, the Jackrabbits extended the game by scoring four times. Falk plated Tony Kjolsing with a single for the first run, while Phil Velez followed two batters later with a bases-clearing double down the left-field line that scored three Jackrabbits.

Cummings, who was 3-for-4 and drove in six runs, added a two-run single in the home half of the seventh to push the ORU lead to 16-7.

SDSU again came up with a big inning in the top of the ninth, sending 10 men to the plate and scoring five times. Falk doubled in the first run of the inning and scored two batters later on Gus Steiger’s double to the left-center gap. Kjolsing scored two more runs with a single up the middle, while Velez brought home a run with a groundout to give him a career-high four runs batted in.

The Jackrabbits, who scored a season-best 12 runs, also finished with a season-high 15 hits in the opener as Falk and Johnson each tallied three hits.

SDSU starter Otis Roby pitched only one inning as he suffered his third loss of the season. Ausua struck out six and walked three over six innings to pick up the win.

Game 2

• Oral Roberts 4, SDSU 3

(11 inn.)

Jack Rosenberg’s second home run of the game, a solo shot leading off the 11th inning, propelled Oral Roberts to a 4-3 victory and sweep of both a doubleheader and series.

Rosenberg gave the Golden Eagles a 3-1 lead with a solo home run with one out in the fourth inning off SDSU starter Tyler Olmstead. ORU had earlier scored single runs in the first and third innings.

SDSU scored in the top of first on a double by Falk that brought home Kjolsing, who also doubled. Kjolsing’s second double of the game, in the bottom of the seventh, scored both Landon Badger and Nick Smith to tie the game at three.

Olmstead struck out six and walked three over six solid innings. Derek Feige worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out five. Austin Suhr, who struck out two batters with the bases loaded in the 10th inning to extend the game, took the loss.

ORU starter Justin McGregor allowed one run on four hits over six innings, striking out six and walking only one. Kyler Stout, who struck out the side in a scoreless top of the 11th inning, was credited with the win. Four ORU pitchers combined to register 16 strikeouts in the contest, while SDSU’s trio of hurlers posted 13 K’s.

The Golden Eagles out-hit SDSU, 8-7, with Rosenberg, Nick Roark and Cal Hernandez each collecting two hits. Kjolsing was the lone Jackrabbit with more than one hit.

UP NEXT

The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play Tuesday night at Creighton. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

SDSU drops Summit opener

TULSA, Okla. – Oral Roberts scored multiple runs in five straight innings and went on to defeat South Dakota State, 14-9, in the Summit League baseball opener for both teams Friday night at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

The defending league champion Golden Eagles improved to 9-6 overall. SDSU suffered its seventh consecutive loss, falling to 2-15 overall.

Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the third, Oral Roberts scored 10 consecutive runs by tallying two runs in both the third and fourth innings and three runs in each of the fifth and sixth frames.

SDSU wouldn’t go down without a fight however as the Jackrabbits drew to within 11-7 by scoring three runs in the top of the seventh with the benefit of a hit. An error and five walks, including consecutive free passes with the bases loaded to Anthony Schneider, Josh Falk and Newt Johnson, led to the Jackrabbit runs. However, an inning-ending double play with the bases still loaded prevented further damage.

ORU ended the Jackrabbit comeback hopes with two more runs in the home half of the seventh on a two-run home run by Riley Keizor.

Tony Kjolsing plated the final two runs of the game for SDSU in the eighth on a triple off the base of the wall in center field, scoring Skyler Wenninger and Ian Cote. Wenninger tripled to lead off the inning.

The two squads traded leads in the early going. Falk drove in Nick Smith with a sacrifice fly to give the Jackrabbits a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, while ORU grabbed a 2-1 lead in the home half of the opening frame on a two-run single by Spencer Henson off SDSU starter Brady Moxham.

Schneider connected on a three-run home run in the top of the third to put SDSU out front, 4-2. It was Schneider’s team-leading third home run of the season.

The SDSU lead was short-lived, however, as the Golden Eagles began their offensive onslaught with a run-scoring single by Keizor in the bottom of the third. Nick Roark and Noah Cummings each tallied a pair of hits and two RBIs for an ORU offense that finished the night with 13 hits.

The Jackrabbits registered only four hits in the contest and were led by Schneider’s two-hit, four-RBI performance. Of SDSU’s four hits, three went for extra bases.

Moxham fell to 0-3 on the season after walking five and striking out four in three innings. He allowed five runs on four hits.

NOTES

* Oral Roberts leads the all-time series, 45-13

* Each team issued 10 walks in Friday’s game

* SDSU’s nine runs set a season high

* Wenninger reached base safely all four trips to the plate with a triple and three walks, and has now reached base safely in 12 consecutive games

* Schneider’s home run was the 11th of his career - most among active Jackrabbits

* Time of the game was 3 hours, 36 minutes

Photo from www.gojacks.com.