ORU Baseball: Golden Eagles Blast Louisiana Tech In Finale

Derrian James had a career game Sunday afternoon as the Oral Roberts University baseball team avoided a sweep at the hands of Louisiana Tech, topping the Bulldogs 11-2 in Ruston, Louisiana.

With the win, the ORU improved to 6-3 on the season, while LaTech dropped back below .500 at 5-6.

The Golden Eagles used a four-run second inning and a five-run fifth to break the game open with a 11-0 lead. LaTech added a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth for the final 11-2 tally.

Turning Point

With the bases loaded in the top of the second, Derrian James hit a long opposite field fly ball that dropped into the corner to clear the bases, giving the Golden Eagles an early 3-0 lead.

Inside the Box Score

· The Golden Eagles rattled off 11 hits in the victory. They have had 10 or more hits in five of their last six contests this season.

· Derrian James reached with a pair of doubles and a single, recorded six RBI and scored two times. He had the first multiple extra base hit game of the season for the Golden Eagles, and the most RBI in a game since Jose Trevino drove in six at Lamar in 2013.

· Anthony Sequeira kept his season batting average at .500 as he was 2-4 at the plate and scored twice.

· Dean Wilson had a hit, walked twice, two runs batted in and crossed plate two times.

· Noah Cummings added a two-run single and Logan Domenico had an RBI single for the Golden Eagles.

· Xavier Altamirano (2-1) pitched six solid innings, allowing two runs and striking out an ORU season high seven batters.

· Leadoff man J.D. Hall highlighted the LaTech lineup with three hits and a run batted in.

· Phillip Diehl (0-2) took the loss for the Bulldogs, allowing six runs on five hits in 2.1 innings of work.

Scoring Summary

· After a leadoff single by Anthony Sequeira, an Audie Afenir double and a walk by Dean Wilson, Derrian James hit his second double of the season into the right field corner to bring home all three, making it 3-0.

· Logan Domenico followed James with a single through the left side, extending the lead to 4-0.

· The Golden Eagles loaded the bases again in the top of the third, taking advantage with a RBI single by Wilson that scored Sequeira and an infield single by James to plate Afenir, extending the lead to 6-0.

· In the top of the fifth, Wilson drew a four pitch walk to push in Afenir, and James followed with his second double of the afternoon to drive in Matt Whatley and Chase Stafford to make it 9-0.

· Two batters later, Noah Cummings drove in Wilson and James with a single to right field, bringing the score to 11-0 after four and a half innings.

· LaTech got on the board in the home half of the fifth as Colby Johnson plated J.D. Perry on a sacrifice fly to center, and Taylor Nichols scored on a Chandler Hall single to cut the lead to 11-2.

Up Next

Up next, ORU travels to Missouri State for its first mid-week game of the season as the Golden Eagles take on Bears in Springfield, Missouri. First pitch is scheduled for 4:05 from Hammons Field.