Courtesy: ORU Media Relations Juan Martinez went 4-for-4 on Monday with three RBI
DALLAS, Texas – The Oral Roberts University baseball team squandered a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth by allowing three runs to drop an eventual 5-4 decision to Dallas Baptist on Monday afternoon at Patriot Field. The Golden Eagles fell to 12-9 overall, while the Patriots improved to 20-8 on the season.
Juan Martinez (Bakersfield, Calif.) led the Golden Eagles offensively, going 4-for-4 at the plate with three RBI and a home run. Robert Barbosa (Dallas, Texas), Danny Duffy (Glendale, Ariz.) and Michael Notaro (Westlake Village, Calif.) all posted two hits in the loss.
Andre Lamontagne (Santa Maria, Calif.) got the start and pitched the first inning, while Chandler Griffin (Billings, Mont.), Bryce Smolen (Houston, Texas), Jameson Dunn (Carrollton, Texas) and Ben Grover (Santa Maria, Calif.) all followed with scoreless innings of relief.
Jeff Burleson (Bakersfield, Calif.) walked the first two batters to begin the bottom of the sixth, and Spencer Roberts (Littleton, Colo.) came on to try and hold the 2-0 ORU lead. Roberts struck out the first batter, before Trevor Head singled to shortstop to load the bases.
Two consecutive singles by Jason Krizan and Ryan Thompson drove in three runs as Dallas Baptist took the 3-2 lead.
The Golden Eagles had two runners on with one out in the top of the seventh, but a double play ended the threat as ORU stranded eight runners on the afternoon.
DBU tacked on two more runs in the home half of the seventh as Head singled up the middle off of T.J. Kelly (Bakersfield, Calif.).
ORU attempted to rally in the top of the ninth, as Barbosa hit a one-out single to right field. Tyler Garewal (Bakersfield, Calif.) then reached on a fielder’s choice for the second out, while Martinez followed with a two-run homer to right field.
The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the third inning as Barbosa posted his second home run of the season on a pop fly into the gusting wind that carried over the wall.
Two innings later, Duffy led off with a double down the left field line and Martinez drove him in with a bloop single over second base.
DBU’s Victor Black (5-1) picked up the win after scattering nine hits in 6.0 innings pitched with two earned runs and eight strikeouts.
Roberts (0-1) suffered the loss for ORU, allowing two earned runs in 1.1 innings with two strikeouts.
The Golden Eagles return to the field against UT-Arlington at 6:30 on Tuesday night at J.L. Johnson Stadium.
Courtesy: ORU Media Relations
