Oral Roberts Sweeps NDSU in Doubleheader

Originally Published: May 21, 2010 8:22 PM CDT

Andrew Topps
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

TULSA, Oklahoma -- Pitching powered Oral Roberts to a doubleheader sweep of North Dakota State as the Golden Eagles defeated the Bison 13-3, and 4-1 Friday.

ORU improves to 32-24 overall and 19-8 in the Summit League. The Golden Eagles will clinch at least a share of their 12th consecutive regular season title with a win in Saturday’s series finale.

ORU 13, NDSU 3

ORU trailed 2-0 heading into the bottom of the third, until Brett Burch started a six-run rally with a solo home run down the left-field line. Joey Winiecki and P.J. Sequeira followed with singles. Seth Furmanek knocked home Winiecki and Sequeira with a long single, giving ORU a 3-2 lead.

Chris Elder and Brett Sowers each drove in runs, and Colby Price knocked in the final run with a sacrifice bunt as ORU took a 6-2 lead.

Dallas Beeler (2-0) retired the final eight batters he faced before leaving at the end of five innings due to pitch count. Beeler, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery last May, struck out a season-high seven batters.

Price hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh for an 8-2 lead. The Bison cut the lead to 8-3 in the top of the eighth before ORU scored five in the bottom of the frame to end the game. Saladino cranked a two-run homer, Price doubled in two runs with two outs and later scored the game-ending run on NDSU shortstop Max Casper’s throwing error on an infield single by Winiecki.

Burleson relieved Beeler to start the sixth and allowed one run on two hits over three innings to earn his second save.

McHale Maristuen (1-8) started and took the loss for NDSU (21-30, 10-16).

ORU 4 NDSU 1

Bryce Smolen went the distance for the Golden Eagles, giving up just four hits while tossing his fifth complete game of the season. ORU won despite managing only five hits and stranding nine runners.

ORU struck first plating a pair of runs in the fourth. Chris Elder led off with a double and reached third when Bison right fielder Nic Obey dropped Robert Barbosa’s fly ball. Price scored Elder with a sacrifice fly, and Winiecki looped a single to center two batters later to knock in Barbosa for a 2-0 lead.

Furmanek hit an RBI single for a 3-0 lead and pinch-runner Justin Mitchell scored on a wild pitch in the sixth for a 4-0 lead.

Smolen retired eight straight batters between the third and sixth innings.

Mark Hermes (1-3) took the loss for NDSU, allowing two runs and four walks in four innings.

The Golden Eagles and Bison wrap up their series and the regular season at 2 p.m. Saturday.