Courtesy: ORU Media Relations Michael Notaro crushed a grand slam in the ninth inning of Monday's victory
DALLAS, Texas – The Oral Roberts University baseball team scored nine runs over the final two innings to hold off Dallas Baptist (38-17) on Monday and wrap up the regular season. The Golden Eagles improved to 28-13 overall.
Robert Barbosa (Dallas, Texas) and Juan Martinez (Bakersfield, Calif.) each posted three hits to lead ORU at the plate, while Michael Notaro (Westlake Village, Calif.) drove in five runs.
Chandler Griffin (1-2) earned the win after giving up one run in the fourth inning, while Bryce Smolen (Houston, Texas), Jeff Burleson (Bakersfield, Calif.) and Andre Lamontagne (Santa Maria, Calif.) pitched scoreless innings of relief.
The Golden Eagles plated five runs in the top of the eighth inning to bust open a 5-4 game and take a commanding 10-4 lead. Colby Price (Brenham, Texas) led off the inning with a double to left center. Tyler Garewal (Bakersfield, Calif.) drove in the run with a single to left field, while Martinez and Seth Furmanek (Gilbert, Ariz.) followed with singles to left field to score two more runs. P.J. Sequeira (Petaluma, Calif.) and Johnny Roberts (Pryor, Okla.) rounded out the scoring with consecutive singles for the ninth and tenth runs of the contest.
The Patriots answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs to close the margin back to two runs. Trevor Head hit a two-run homer to left field off of T.J. Kelly (Bakersfield, Calif.). After two consecutive singles, Ryan Goins doubled to left center to clear the bases.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, the Golden Eagles loaded the bases and Notaro crushed a ball well over the left field wall for a grand slam to put the contest out of reach.
The Patriots scored the game’s first two runs in the bottom of the second inning when Trevor Head lined a two-out double down the left field line to drive in Brandon Bantz and Ryan Thompson.
The Golden Eagles countered in the top of the third, scoring four runs on RBI singles by Martinez, Notaro and Sequeira, and a sacrifice fly by Roberts.
Two outstanding defensive plays highlighted the bottom of the third as the Patriots were held scoreless. Garewal leaped over the right centerfield wall and saved a sure home run to lead off the inning. After three walks loaded the bases with two outs, Colby Price barehanded a ricochet and gunned the runner at first.
ORU added to its lead in the top of the fourth inning when Barbosa scored on a wild pitch after leading off the frame with a double off the left field wall.
Dallas Baptist brought the score back to 5-3 in the home half of the fourth when Travis Meiners singled through the left side to score Austin Knight, who led off the inning with a strikeout but reached on a passed ball.
DBU pushed another run across the plate to close the ORU lead to 5-4 in the following inning. With the bases loaded, a wild pitch scored a run before Danny Duffy (Glendale, Ariz.) saved an errant throw to gun the tying run out at the plate.
The Golden Eagles open the Currington Mortgage Summit League Championships at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday at J.L. Johnson Stadium against Centenary.
Courtesy: ORU Media Relations
