SDSU comeback bid falls short to ORU

Friday, May 13

Brookings, S.D.

3:00 PM

South Dakota State University

19-29, 12-13

Oral Roberts

30-16, 19-6

Oral Roberts

South Dakota State

Photo by: Inertia Sports Media/Dave Eggen

5/13/2016 7:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

A five-run second inning by Oral Roberts proved to be the difference as the Summit League-leading Golden Eagles held off a South Dakota State comeback attempt for a 10-8 victory Friday afternoon in the opening game of a three-game series at Erv Huether Field.

ORU improved to 30-16 overall and 19-6 in league play, clinching at least a tie for the Summit League regular season title. The Jackrabbits dropped to 19-29 overall and 12-13 in The Summit League.

The Golden Eagles cracked into the scoring column in the top of the first inning on a two-out single by Brent Williams that scored Nick Rotola.

SDSU responded with a three-run bottom of the first on only one hit. The Jackrabbits benefited from two ORU errors and a pair of walk in scoring three unearned runs. Newt Johnson recorded the only hit of the inning, driving in the third run of the frame after the first run scored on an error and the second scoring on a groundout by Matt Johnson.

The Golden Eagles sent 10 men to the plate and scored five times in a messy top of the second inning. Trevor McCutchin started the rally with a base hit and Jackrabbit starter Andrew Clemen hit two of the next three hitters with pitches to load the bases for Rotola, who tied the game at 3-all with a two-run single. After another single loaded the bases, Chase Stafford was hit by a pitch and Williams walked to force in two more runs. The final run of the inning scored on a groundout.

Luke Ringhofer notched a run-scoring single for the Jackrabbits in the bottom of the second to pull SDSU to within 6-4. Ringhofer extended his streak of reaching base safely to 40 games – the second-longest streak in the Division I era of Jackrabbit baseball.

Williams, who was 3-for-3 and drove in four runs, added a run-scoring double in the fourth and a sacrifice fly in the sixth as ORU pulled ahead for a 10-4 lead.
Golden Eagle starter Bryce Howe recovered from a shaky first two innings to finish his outing with four shutout frames. He struck out nine and walked three over six innings.

The SDSU comeback began in the bottom of the eighth as Jesse Munsterman and Matt Johnson connected on back-to-back home runs to open the inning off Golden Eagle reliever Josh McMinn. Johnson's home run was his team-leading eighth of the season. A bases-loaded walk to Anthony Schneider later in the inning cut the deficit to 10-7.

SDSU reliever Joe Erickson kept the Golden Eagles at bay by allowing only one run over four innings.

The Jackrabbits put together another rally against ORU closer Brady Womacks in the bottom of the ninth. Munsterman, Matt Johnson and Newt Johnson all reached safely to start the inning, but Matt Johnson was hung up between second and third base as Munsterman was held at third base on Newt Johnson's third hit of the game.

Pinch-hitter Tony Kjolsing plated a run with a sacrifice fly, but Womacks closed out his 10^th save of the season with a popout.

ORU held a 14-9 advantage in hits. The middle third of the Jackrabbit lineup – Munsterman (2), Matt Johnson (2) and Newt Johnson (3) – accounted for seven of SDSU's nine hits.

Saturday's scheduled game has been pushed back an hour for a 2 p.m. start.

ORAL ROBERTS 10, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 8
ORU 150 121 000 10-14-2
SDSU 310 000 031 8-9-1
ORU: Bryce Howe, Josh McMinn (7), Brady Womacks (8) and Brent Williams. SDSU: Andrew Clemen, Joe Erickson (5), Will McAffer (9) and Luke Ringhofer.
W-Howe (5-3). L-Clemen (3-8). Save-Womacks (10).
HR: SDSU-Jesse Munsterman (3), Matt Johnson (8).