Runners Left On Base Prove Costly For ORU

Missed opportunities proved costly Saturday as the Oral Roberts baseball left 10 runners on base in a 2-1 loss to South Dakota State. ORU had 12 hits in the game, the most in the last five games, but had just one run to show for them.

Four different Golden Eagles had two hits in the game and eight different batters tallied a hit. Matt Brandy had the lone RBI, while Chase Stafford scored ORU's only run. Xavier Altamirano (5-2) took the loss on the mound going 6.2 innings giving up two runs on seven hits. Hayden Holley and Jacob McDavidcombined for the final 2.1 innings and gave up just one hit.

Matt Johnson had three hits to lead the Jackrabbits. Starting pitcher Chris Anderson (5-2) got the win, pitching six innings and giving up 10 hits but just the one run.

Turning Point

ORU had plenty of chances early on, but double plays in each of the first three innings kept ORU from taking an early lead.

Individual Leaders

Oral Roberts: Eight different Golden Eagles had a hit in the game, including doubles from Stafford, Derrian James and Audie Afenir.

South Dakota State: Matt Johnson had three hits to lead the Jackrabbits.

Inside the Box Score

- SDSU turned inning-ending double plays in each of the first three innings of the game.

- ORU left 10 runners on base in the game.

- Chase Stafford has scored all three runs in the series for ORU.

- James (14) and Noah Cummings (13) each extended their team-best on-base streaks.

- Cummings extended his hitting streak to nine games. It is his longest hitting streak of the season and matches the second longest by a Golden Eagle this year.

- SDSU claimed the series victory over ORU with the win Saturday, the first time since 2010 in which ORU has lost a Summit League series.

Scoring Summary

- Paul Jacobson led the game off with a ground-rule double, and a pair of sacrifices brought him around to score in the first to give SDSU a 1-0 lead.

- ORU loaded the bases in the third inning, and a sacrifice fly in foul ground by Brandy scored the tying run, scoring Stafford from third.

- After a leadoff double in the sixth, a single and sacrifice fly worked Jacobson around to score and give the Jackrabbits the lead again, 2-1.

Up Next

ORU will try to avoid the sweep Sunday at 1 p.m. in the final game of the series.