SDSU AGAIN COMES UP ONE RUN SHORT

Friday, March 13

Tulsa, Okla.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

5-12, 0-1

Oral Roberts

8-9, 1-0

South Dakota St.

Oral Roberts

Photo by: Ricky Bassman

3/13/2026 9:40:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

TULSA, Okla. — Oral Roberts broke a 2-all tie with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and held off South Dakota State for a 4-3 victory in the Summit League baseball opener for both teams Friday night at Chapman Park.

The Golden Eagles improved to 8-9 overall, while SDSU dropped to 5-12 on the season.

After Jackrabbit reliever Drew McDowell held ORU off the board through his first four innings of work, the Golden Eagles were able to solve the SDSU right-hander in what would be their final at-bat. Wailele Kane-Yates opened the frame by being hit by a pitch and moved to second base on a successful sacrifice bunt by Cooper Kelly. Kane-Yates moved up another base on a base hit by Martell Davis and later scored the go-ahead run on a single to right field by Tyler Brodrick to end McDowell's outing.

Davis would come across on a wild pitch for the second run of the inning.

SDSU continued to battle as it received back-to-back singles from Nate Wachter and Dayton Franke to open the top of the ninth. Carter Taylor moved both Wachter and pinch-runner Luke Evenson into scoring position by dropping down a sacrifice bunt, with Wachter bringing the Jackrabbits back to within a run as he scored on a groundout off the bat of Keagen Jirschele. Evenson was left stranded at third as Nic Werk grounded out to end the game.

Each of the Jackrabbits' first two runs were unearned. Werk singled to open the third, advanced to third on an error and scored on a groundout RBI by Luke Luskey. SDSU then tied the game at 2-all. Werk also scored in the fifth after a leadoff walk as he moved up bases on a passed ball, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly by Nolan Grawe.

ORU grabbed its first lead of the night with two runs in the bottom of the third. Makani Tanaka hit a solo home run for the first Golden Eagle tally and Kelly added a run-scoring infield single later in the inning.

McDowell turned in his longest outing as a Jackrabbit with 4 1/3 innings of relief. He allowed four hits, struck out four and walked two. Ty Madison worked the first 2 1/3 innings for SDSU, giving up two runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out two.

Golden Eagle starter Easton Teel did not factor in the decision despite seven solid innings. The right-hander struck out four, walked one and gave up only two hits. Jack Hill pitched the final two innings and was credited with the win.

ORU held an 8-4 advantage in hits, led by Kane-Yates with a 2-for-3 night at the plate. Wachter posted two of the Jackrabbits' four hits.

ON DECK
Game 2 of the series is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch on Saturday.

NOTES

ORU leads the all-time series, 84-23, and has won the last 10 meetings
SDSU fell to 8-10 in Summit League openers since joining the league at the start of the 2008 season
The Jackrabbits dropped to 1-5 in one-run games this season, with five of their last six games decided by a single score
SDSU center fielder Owen Siegert had both his seven-game hitting streak and streak of 16 consecutive games reaching base safely come to an end
Wachter recorded his fourth multi-hit game of the season
McDowell's previous long outing was three innings last Friday against Northwestern, a relief appearance in which he allowed one unearned run

-GoJacks.com-