Three South Dakota State errors led directly to four runs as Oral Roberts took the opening game of a four-game Summit League baseball series, 6-1, Friday afternoon at a windy Erv Huether Field.
ORU improved to 22-19 overall and 9-3 in league play. The Jackrabbits dropped their seventh consecutive league game, falling to 13-25-1 overall and 2-7 in The Summit League.
The Golden Eagles took advantage of two Jackrabbit errors in the third inning to score three times. Logan Domenico reached and advanced to second base on a throwing error by Jackrabbit pitcher Stephen Bougher and later scored on Cam Schiller's double to left field. Schiller later scored on a bases-loaded walk to Brandon King. Jose Trevino scored the final run of the inning when Bennett Pickar scored on a throwing error.
Trevino scored his second run of the game in the fifth inning after he led off the frame with a double and came around on a base hit by King.
After stranding a pair of runners in each of the third and fifth innings, the Jackrabbits tallied their lone run of the game in the seventh. Nick Andrews led off with his second hit of the game, moved to second on a base hit by Daniel Marra and took third when Beau Hanowski reached on an error. Andrew Phelan then drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Andrews, but ORU starter Michael Torrence prevented further damage with the go-ahead run at the plate by getting the next two Jackrabbit hitters to pop out and strike out.
ORU put the game further out of reach with two unearned runs in the eighth as two runners scored on Eric Cain's second throwing error of the game.
Each team posted eight hits - Kevin Cho and Trevino each had two for ORU, while Andrews and Marra led the Jackrabbits with a pair of hits each.
A left-hander, Torrence struck out eight and walked three in seven innings of work. Joe Spring added two strikeouts over the final two innings.
Bougher saw his personal five-game winning streak end as he allowed four runs - two earned - on seven hits and four walks. He fanned a pair of batters.
The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon.
ORAL ROBERTS 6, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE 1
ORU 003 010 020 6-8-1
SDSU 000 000 100 1-8-3
ORU: Michael Torrence, Joe Spring (8) and Bennett Pickar. SDSU: Stephen Bougher, Marcus Heemstra (7), Shane Kraemer (8), Deon Entringer (9) and Zach Briggs, Steven Autenrieth (6).
W-Torrence (4-5). L-Bougher (5-3). Save-none.
HR: none.
