WINNING STREAK ENDS IN OPENER AT ORU

Friday, April 28

Tulsa, Okla.

4 p.m.

South Dakota State University

18-18, 10-6

Oral Roberts

30-11, 15-1

South Dakota State

Oral Roberts

Reece Anderson Teaser vs. Dakota Wesleyan 2023-02

Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia

4/28/2023 10:12:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. — Jake McMurray hit two of Oral Roberts' three solo home runs to lead the Golden Eagles to a 5-3 victory over South Dakota State in the opening game of a three-game Summit League baseball series Friday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

The league-leading Golden Eagles improved to 30-11 overall and 15-1 in The Summit League. SDSU, which had its longest winning streak in the Division I era end at 11 games, dropped to 18-18 overall and 10-6 in league play.

After ORU scored an unearned run in the second inning, McMurray upped the Golden Eagles' lead to 2-0 with a homer down the left-field line to lead off the third inning. ORU added another run later in the frame on a Mac McCroskey RBI single that chased Jackrabbit starter Brady Hawkins from the game.

McMurray struck again out of the leadoff spot to open the fifth inning.

All the Jackrabbit offense came in the sixth inning, scoring three times to pull to within a run. After being no-hit through five innings by Jakob Hall, SDSU opened the top of the sixth with consecutive singles from Drew Beazley, Jess Bellows and Reece Anderson to load the bases. Ryan McDonald was hit by a pitch to force in Beazley with the first Jackrabbit run and Bellows scored moments later on a sacrifice fly by Dawson Parry. Anderson came across with the final run of the inning on the back end of a double steal with McDonald.

Jonah Cox gave the Golden Eagles an insurance run in the seventh inning with a solo home run to right center that extended his hitting streak to 25 games.

Hall struck out six and did not walk a batter over 7 2/3 innings. Cade Denton struck out three of the four batters he faced to earn his 10^th save of the season.

Hawkins walked four and struck out three in 2 1/3 innings for the Jackrabbits. Jack Kruger allowed one run over three innings, with Jordan Sagedahl and Alex Clemons finishing up on the mound for SDSU.

McMurray was the only player for either team with more than one hit as ORU finished with a 6-4 advantage in the hit column.

UP NEXT
The middle game of the three-game series is set for a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday.

NOTES

ORU leads the all-time series, 70-20
McDonald singled in the eighth inning and was hit by pitches twice to raise his season on-base percentage to .573
McDonald has reached base safely in 24 consecutive games and 67 of 68 games dating back to last season
Anderson extended his on-base streak to 14 games
Luke Ira made his 150^th consecutive start for the Jackrabbits, 131 of which have been at shortstop
The start of Friday's game was moved up two hours to 4 p.m. due to impending inclement weather