Oral Roberts Run-Rules Southern Utah

ORU pitcher Bryce Smolen threw a complete game as the Golden Eagles bats exploded for 14 runs.

Thursday, May 26th 2011, 11:39 am

By: News On 6

Originally Published: Apr 15, 2010 8:35 PM CDT

Andrew Topps
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

CEDAR CITY, Utah -- Oral Roberts blasted Southern Utah 14-4 in the opening contest of a four-game set.

ORU (17-14, 5-0) scored a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. But Southern Utah (7-24, 1-4) would come back thanks to a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch by ORU starter Bryce Smolen in the bottom of the third tied the game 2-2.

The Golden Eagles bats came alive with four runs in the top of the fourth inning. Oral Roberts' five runs in the top of the eighth inning led to a newly instated ten-run rule in Summit League play that came into effect this week. The rule states that if a team leads the game by ten runs after seven innings have been played that the game is over.

Smolen earned the complete game victory, allowing four earned runs with three strikeouts. SUU starter Steve Johnson was tagged with the loss after allowing nine runs (seven earned) on nine hits in 4.2 innings. .

The two teams will hit the field Friday for a doubleheader with the first game scheduled to begin at noon.