SDSU claims series with 9-8 win at Oral Roberts

Posted

TULSA, Okla. – Luke Ira doubled in the winning run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning as South Dakota State recovered from a couple comeback bids by Oral Roberts for a 9-8, series-clinching victory in Summit League baseball action Sunday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

In winning two of three games over the weekend, SDSU improved to 11-10 overall and 4-2 in league play. The Golden Eagles dropped to 10-11 overall and 4-2 in The Summit League.

Ira’s heroics came after the Jackrabbits had the potential go-ahead run ruled out on a play at the plate after Gus Steiger’s fourth hit of the game. Steiger later advanced to second on a balk and then scored when Ira, a freshman from Iowa City, Iowa, lined a pitch to the left-center gap.

Drew Beazley, who began the game at first base before coming on to pitch in the bottom of the seventh, struck out two Oral Roberts batters in the ninth to seal the victory.

Oral Roberts rallied from a pair of deficits, first tying the game at 4-all with a four-run fifth inning that consisted of a solo home run by Trevor McCutchin and three-run blast by Hunter Wilson. The Golden Eagles scored in four consecutive innings, again knotting the game at 8-all with two runs in the seventh and a run in the eighth against the SDSU bullpen after the Jackrabbits regained an 8-5 lead.

Isaac Coffey, who also was ORU’s starting pitcher, hit a solo home run in the sixth, while McCutchin added a two-run double in the seventh. The tying run in the eighth scored on a sacrifice fly by Anthony Martinez.

SDSU gained the early lead by putting together a three-run second inning. Ira, who was 2-for-5, opened the frame with a base hit and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Logan Holtz. Two batters later, Josh Falk connected on a two-run homer to left-center.

Beazley hit the first of his two doubles in the fifth inning and came around to score on a single by Steiger for a 4-0 Jackrabbit lead.

Jackrabbit starter Nic McCay retired ORU in order in each of the first three innings and held the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard until running into trouble in the fifth. The freshman right-hander struck out three and walked one in 5 1/3 innings.

SDSU went back out front with a three-run top of the sixth. Braeden Brown scored the lead run on a fielders choice before Beazley delivered a two-run double off the wall in right-center that scored both Holtz and Falk.

Steiger added a solo home run – his team-leading fourth of the season – to lead off the Jackrabbits’ top of the seventh.

The Jackrabbits out-hit ORU, 14-11, with Steiger going 4-for-5 and both Beazley and Brown collecting three hits apiece.

Beazley was credited with his first collegiate victory after pitching the final 2 1/3 innings.

NOTES – All three games in the series were decided by one run. ... The Jackrabbits improved to 4-4 in one-run games this season. ... SDSU is the only program to win a Summit League series at Oral Roberts, also accomplishing the feat by winning two of three games at J.L. Johnson Stadium in 2015 (April 24-26). ... Jackrabbit pitchers combined to limit Oral Roberts to a .232 team batting average in the three-game series. ... Steiger tallied his second four-hit game of the season, with the other against UA Little Rock on March 8. ... Steiger has reached base safely by hit or base on balls in 16 consecutive games. ... Nick Smith had his streak of reaching base safely in 11 straight games come to an end. ... Ira notched his team-leading 11th multi-hit game, while Steiger recorded his 10th multi-hit game and seventh multi-RBI game of the season. ... SDSU’s starting pitchers have logged five-plus innings in 15 of 21 games this season, including all three games of the weekend series.

UP NEXT – SDSU opens a three-game Summit League series Friday afternoon at Purdue Fort Wayne. First pitch is slated for 2 p.m. (CDT) at Mastodon Field in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Saturday

 SDSU 2, ORU 1

TULSA, Okla. – Drew Beazley led off the top of the ninth inning with a home run, lifting South Dakota State to a 2-1 victory over Oral Roberts in the middle game of a three-game Summit League baseball series Saturday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

A freshman from Johnston, Iowa, Beazley lined a 2-1 pitch down the right-field line for an opposite-field home run off Golden Eagle reliever A.J. Archambo. His game-winning clout was his second round-tripper of the season.

Jackrabbit reliever Bret Barnett allowed a pair of base runners in the bottom of the ninth, but struck out pinch-hitter Jack Rosenberg to end the game. Barnett earned his third win of the season as he worked the final 2 2/3 innings, striking out four while walking one and allowing one hit.

SDSU scored first, pushing a run across in the top of the third. After reaching on a fielders choice, Gus Steiger advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on Luke Ira’s single up the middle.

Oral Roberts tied the game in the fourth as Drew Lowe singled and later came home on a wild pitch. The Golden Eagle rally came an inning after Jackrabbit starter Ryan Froom worked out of a jam in which Oral Roberts put runners at second and third with one out, but could not score.

Froom scattered six hits and worked around three walks while striking out two in 6 1/3 innings.

Nick Smith tallied two of the Jackrabbits’ five hits in the contest. Hunter Swift was 3-for-4 to lead ORU’s eight-hit effort.