Oral Roberts scored three runs in the seventh inning to break a 4-4 deadlock and the Golden Eagles then held on for a 7-4 victory over the Missouri State baseball team Wednesday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium in Tulsa, Okla.
The Bears fell to 4-5 on the season, while the Golden Eagles improved to 5-8 overall and 4-0 at home.
The Golden Eagles opened the bottom of the first with a single from Brendan Duffy. After Pat Doyle struck out the next two ORU hitters, first baseman Chad Rothford swatted a two-run homer to right center for a quick 2-0 lead.
The Bears' Brayden Drake cut the lead in half in the second inning with a solo home run to center.
Drake pulled the Bears even in the fourth with a two-out RBI single to score Kyle Paul, who had doubled two batters earlier. Ben Carlson then hammered his first home run of the season to left center, giving MSU a 4-2 advantage.
ORU evened the score in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of a walk, a single, a passed ball and an error to score twice.
The Golden Eagles put their first two runners on in the seventh to set up catcher Brian Van Kirk’s three-run homer to center off Bears' reliever Jeff Sargent. Van Kirk was the first batter Sargent faced after relieving Buddy Baumann, and ORU’s winning run was charged to the freshman southpaw, dropping Baumann’s record to 0-1 on the season.
Missouri State loaded the bases with one out in the ninth but could not score.
The Bears will next be in action Friday at 6:35 p.m. in their first of three games this weekend against the University of Minnesota in the Metrodome in Minneapolis.
