Jackrabbits fall again to Oral Roberts
Golden Eagles pull away for 13-5 win, series finale tomorrow at 1:00 PM
BROOKINGS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - Oral Roberts left-hander Ledgend Smith allowed only one run over five innings of relief and the Golden Eagles’ bats came alive in the middle innings in handing South Dakota State a 13-5 setback in Summit League baseball action Friday afternoon at Erv Huether Field.
In winning the first two games of the three-game series, ORU improved to 35-17 overall and 17-6 in league play. SDSU dropped back to the .500 mark overall at 21-21 and slipped to 12-9 in The Summit League.
South Dakota State led 4-2 through four innings, scoring once in the bottom of the first inning and three more times with two outs in the home half of the fourth. Derek Hackman plated Henry George with the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly before the Jackrabbits were aided by two ORU errors in the fourth.
Ryan McDonald started the fourth-inning rally against ORU starter Isaac Coffey with a leadoff single and moved to second on a base hit by Nic Nelson two batters later. After McDonald was forced out at third base for the second out, Thatcher Kozal came through with an RBI single to center field that scored Nelson and moved Drew Beazley to third. As Kozal stole second, the throw was offline, allowing Beazley to score. Kozal later scored the third and final run of the inning when Reece Anderson’s sharp single to right field was misplayed.
ORU responded with four runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good. The first run of the inning scored on a wild pitch and Jake McMurray scored the tying run on a sacrifice fly by Caleb Denny. Jackson Loftin followed with a two-run home run over the center field fence to chase Jackrabbit starter Owen Bishop.
The Golden Eagles tacked on two runs in the sixth on the second of three doubles by Joshua Cox and an RBI single by McMurray.
McMurray, who was 3-for-5 to help pace the Golden Eagles’ 14-hit attack, added a two-run single as part of a five-run eighth inning. Six of ORU’s hits were doubles.
The only blemish against Smith was a solo home run by Hackman in the bottom of the eighth. Hackman’s home run was his fourth in the last three games and ninth of the season.
Smith struck out seven and walked two over five innings to earn the victory. Coffey struck out one and walked only one in his four innings of work.
SDSU’s six hits were spread among six different players.
UP NEXT
The regular season finale for both teams is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. Senior Day recognition for five Jackrabbits is slated to begin at 12:45 p.m.
NOTES
- Oral Roberts has won all five meetings this season
- SDSU has homered in 24 of its last 25 games
- Hackman joined Henry George in homering in three consecutive games on the current homestand
- Hackman has 11 RBIs over the last three games to tie Dawson Parry for the team lead with 37
- McDonald reached base safely for the 30th consecutive game
- Reece Arbogast finished on the mound for the Jackrabbits with two shutout innings
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