ORU Baseball: Golden Eagles Finish Off Sweep of Omaha

The Oral Roberts baseball team rallied with 18 unanswered runs to finish a sweep of Omaha, 18-7, Sunday afternoon in Summit League action.

The Golden Eagles finished a season sweep of the Mavericks with the eight-inning run rule victory. It was also the second time this season ORU beat Omaha via run rule.

After pulling with a run in the fourth inning the Golden Eagles took the lead in the top of the sixth inning and exploded for nine runs in the eighth. Every ORU player came across to score in the inning as six players had multiple hits in the game.

Noah Cummings paced ORU going 4-for-4 as Matt Brandy was 2-for-4 with five RBI and a home run.

Collin Hightower was solid in relief pitching a season-high five innings as he scattered five hits. Hightower allowed just two runs before finishing with four scoreless and three strikeouts to pick up the victory.

Turning Point

Matt Brandy belted a two-run, two-out home run to left center to help the Golden Eagles pull within one run of Omaha in the fourth inning. It capped six runs in the inning on five hits, but helped propel ORU as they took the lead in the sixth inning with three more runs before scoring nine more runs on seven hits in the eighth inning.

Individual Leaders

Oral Roberts: Noah Cummings went 4-for-4 with a RBI and run scored. Matt Brandy had five RBI and scored three runs after going 2-for-4 with a home run.

Omaha: Mark Handberg went 2-for-3 with four RBI and a home run for the Mavericks.

Inside the Box Score

- Noah Cummings was 4-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 11 games, tying the season long previously held by Derrian James. Cummings has also reached base safely in 15 straight games.

- ORU finished a season sweep of defending league champion Omaha outscoring the Mavericks, 58-23.

- ORU has swept four Summit League series this season and five series overall.

- Collin Hightower pitched a season-high five innings with three strikeouts and five hits allowed.

Scoring Summary

- Mark Handberg put Omaha on the board early when he doubled home Daniel Jewett in the bottom of the second inning. Jewett led off the inning with a double of his own.

- Omaha took a commanding lead in the third inning when Cole Gruber walked and stole second to start the frame. Just two batters later Gruber scored on a single from Ryan Cate through the left side of the infield to make it a 2-0 lead.

- Isaac Holt reached on a fielder's choice for the Mavericks when a throwing error by the Golden Eagles allowed one run to score.

- Alex Mortensen reached on a fielder's choice to the right side of the infield to score Cate before Mark Handberg homered. Handberg's three-run homer put Omaha on top 7-0, but ended the scoring for the Mavericks.

- ORU got on the board when Matt Whatley blasted a bases loaded triple into center field clearing the bases. Derrian James followed with a single that scored Whatley.

- Matt Brandy drove in James with a two-run homer to left cutting the Omaha lead to one run, 7-6, in the top of the fourth.

- Brandy placed a sacrifice but down the line in the sixth inning, but a throwing error scored Whatley and James to give ORU an 8-7 lead.

- Noah Cummings would lift a sacrifice fly to left to score Brandy to put ORU up, 9-7.

- The Golden Eagles pushed towards a run-rule in the eighth inning when Audie Afenir followed an Anthony Sequeira double with a RBI double in the right field corner.

- Afenir would come around to score when Dean Wilson singled to center also scoring Cummings who also reached via a base hit.

- Chase Stafford hit the second triple of the game for ORU scoring Wilson and Emmanuel Forcier who pinch ran for Logan Domenico. Domenico reached on a walk after Cummings' single.

- Brandy continued the eighth inning hit parade with a bases clearing double to in the gap in left field. Stafford came around to score with James and Whatley who each walked after Stafford's triple.

- Nick Roark pinch hit but pushed a ground ball to the right side to score Brandy and pick up the RBI with the fielder's choice and give ORU an 18-7 lead.

Up Next

ORU takes the week off before returning to the diamond next week at IPFW. The Golden Eagles and Mastodons start a three-game series Friday in Fort Wayne, Ind., at 2 p.m. (CST).