JACKRABBITS FALL TO ORU IN SUMMIT SEMIS

Thursday, May 25

Fargo, N.D.

6:55 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Oral Roberts

Photo by: The Summit League

5/25/2023 11:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

FARGO, N.D. — Top-seeded Oral Roberts received production up and down its lineup, pounding out 17 hits in a 15-2 victory over South Dakota State in the semifinals of the Summit League Baseball Championship Thursday night at Newman Outdoor Field.

ORU, which extended its winning streak to 17 games, improved to 45-11 overall and advanced to Saturday's championship round. SDSU dropped to 23-27 on the season and will face North Dakota State in an elimination game at 4 p.m. Friday, with the winner moving on to the championship.

After leaving the bases loaded in the opening inning, the Golden Eagles grabbed the lead in the top of the second as Jacob Godman walked, moved to second on a balk and scored on Jake McMurray's single.

SDSU missed out on an opportunity to tie the game or take the lead in the home half of the second, loading the bases with one out on a single by Nic Nelson and back-to-back walks to Drew Beazley and Thatcher Kozal. However, ORU starter Jakob Hall induced a ground ball that resulted in an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.

ORU pushed the lead to 3-0 an inning later as Mac McCroskey lined a triple to the right-center gap that brought home Matt Hogan. McCroskey later scored on a groundout.

Two Jackrabbit errors allowed ORU to push its lead to 5-0 in the top of the fifth and the Golden Eagles tallied four more unearned runs in the seventh inning after the Jackrabbits committed four of their six errors for the contest in that fateful frame.

About the only drama remaining in the late innings was whether Summit League Player of the Year Jonah Cox would be able to extend his NCAA-best hitting streak to 40 games. After going hitless in his first five at-bats, including three strikeouts, Cox rolled a single through the left side as part of a six-run eighth inning for the Golden Eagles. Hogan, who was 4-for-4 with a pair of walks, capped the scoring for ORU with a two-run double.

All nine starters in the Oral Roberts lineup recorded at least one hit, with McCroskey going 3-for-5.

SDSU averted the shutout with a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth on RBI singles by Matthew Werk and Jordan Sagedahl. The Jackrabbits' six hits were spread among six different players.

Hall struck out five, walked three and allowed three hits over five innings in improving to 8-3 on the season. Jacob Widener followed with two shutout innings while three other relievers combined to pitch the final two frames for ORU.

For the Jackrabbits, Blake Kunz took the loss after giving up four runs — three earned — over the first 4 2/3 innings. The senior right-hander struck out three and walked three. Dylan Richey fanned three over the final inning and a third.

NOTES

SDSU fell to 19-24 in Summit League Baseball Championship games, including 0-5 in semifinal contests
Oral Roberts has won all 17 matchups against the Jackrabbits in Summit League tournament play
Jess Bellows extended his hitting streak to seven games and has reached base safely in 17 consecutive contests
Nelson is 5-for-7 in two tournament games so far

-GoJacks.com-