ORU Topples Southern Utah, 13-1, Completes Four-Game Sweep

[Bogus Smith]

ORU Topples Southern Utah, 13-1, Completes Four-Game Sweep

TULSA, Okla. ? Oral Roberts University?s baseball team recorded a season-high 15 hits and Marcus Tackett (Tulsa, Okla.) threw seven scoreless innings to lead the Golden Eagles to a 13-1 victory over Southern Utah, in Mid-Continent Conference action, on Sunday afternoon, at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

ORU (21-14, 4-0 Mid-Con) scored two runs in the first inning for an early 2-0 lead over SUU (6-35, 1-7 Mid-Con). Stephen Pearson (Petaluma, Calif.) knocked in Jake Kahaulelio (Windsor, Calif.) and Kelly Minissale (Murphy, Texas) with a base hit to center.

The Golden Eagles tallied five more runs in the fourth inning. Brendan Duffy (Glendale, Ariz.) hit a base-clearing three-run triple to right center. Pat Warfle (Melbourne, Fla.) had a RBI single and Minissale plated Duffy with a sacrifice fly.

ORU increased their lead to 13-0 with a six run sixth inning. After Brian Van Kirk (Southwest Ranches, Fla.) and Warfle each had RBI singles, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases again off SUU?s starter Mac Nelson. This time it was Adam Younger (Cape Coral, Fla.) doing the damage for ORU with a base-clearing double down the left field line.

Tackett was solid in his seventh start of the year, scattering six hits in seven innings of work. The right-hander struck out three and walked only two batters.

Pearson led ORU with a 3-for-4 effort as 11 different Golden Eagle hitters recorded at least one hit.

Dale Reneau (Oklahoma City, Okla.) finished the game from the mound with two innings of work.

ORU improves to 17-1 at home and won their eigth straight conference game dating back to last year.

ORU returns to action on Tuesday, traveling to Stillwater, Okla. for a match-up with Oklahoma State.

[Bogus Smith]

Very impressive weekend for the good guys!  The pitching was spectacular for the most part all weekend long and, except for the four run fourth inning on Saturday afternoon's first game, the Thunderbirds were really of no match to ORU.

Western Illinois should be our only real threat in the Conference (assuming that we don't overlook somebody or something).  I think that if we don't get "homered" by an officiating crew along the way, we have an excellent chance of going undefeated in Conference and Tournament play.

[tmh8286]

It was a beautiful weekend for baseball - even yesterday, which started out cloudy and windy, but by the time the game got going it was pretty nice.  I wonder if motivation was part of the problem in the first game on Saturday, that required thirteen innings to put away the the Thunderbirds.  We were VERY lucky to win that one.  If it wasn't for some fortuitous hitting late we would have lost it in regular innings.