LINCOLN, Neb. -- UC-Irvine’s Bryce Stowell struck out 13 Golden Eagles in a 7.2 innings as the Anteaters blanked Oral Roberts University, 8-0, in the championship game of the Lincoln Regional, Sunday night at Hawks Field.
With the loss, ORU ends their season with a 48-14 record. It is the most wins for an ORU team since the 2004 season when the Golden Eagles won 51 games. Meanwhile, UC-Irvine moves on to the Super Regionals next weekend for the second consecutive year with a 41-17 record.
Stowell (8-2) finished the night with 7.2 innings of work, scattering five ORU hits while walking only three.
UC-Irvine grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first, but it could have been worse as Carlos Luna (13-1) was able to keep the damage at a minimum. The Anteaters loaded the bases with no outs on the board. Luna forced UCI’s Casey Stevenson to fly out to left that scored Ollie Linton for UCI’s first run. Luna then forced a fly out and then an outstanding throw by left-fielder Ryan Groth beat UCI’s Ben Orloff at home plate, who attempted to score from second after a Tony Asaro single.
The Anteaters added a second run in the top of the third with a two-out rally. Stevenson doubled with two down before Sean Madigan brought him home with an RBI single.
ORU had chances to get on the scoreboard with runners on first and second in both the fourth and fifth, however Stowell was able to get the Anteaters out of the jam.
UCI added some cushion in the seventh inning by putting four runs on the board for a 6-0 advantage. Stevenson knocked in the first run with a single to right field, Sean Madigan scored two runs with a single then Stevenson later scored after a throwing error on a pick-off move by reliever Mark Serrano.
The Anteaters added two more runs in the ninth to take an 8-0 lead.
Luna went 6.1 innings, allowing eight hits and six runs – five earned – in suffering his only losing decision in his ORU career.
Kelly Minissale went 2-for-4 to pace the ORU offense as five different Golden Eagles collected a hit.
Madigan drove in five runs with a 3-for-5 effort to lead the Anteaters attack.
All-Tournament Team C – Ben Petralli, Oral Roberts 1B – Michael Notaro, Oral Roberts 2B – Jake Opitz, Nebraska 3B – David Genao, Oral Roberts SS – Ben Orloff, UC Irvine OF – Brett Nommensen, Eastern Illinois OF – Ollie Linton, UC Irvine OF – Sean Madigan, UC Irvine UT – Kelly Minissale, Oral Roberts P – Bryce Stowell, UC Irvine P – Daniel Bibona, UC Irvine Most Outstanding Player: Bryce Stowell, UC Irvine
Courtesy: ORU Media Relations
