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| Junior Red Patterson threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 29 batters he faced on Friday (photo by Ronnie Pierce). |
TULSA, Okla. ? Oral Roberts exploded for five runs on just an infield hit in the seventh inning and the Golden Eagles opened this weekend's three-game series at J.L. Johnson Stadium with a 9-5 come-from-behind win against UTSA on Friday.
The Roadrunners saw their three-game winning streak come to an end with the loss, while Oral Roberts won its fourth consecutive game to open the year and extended the nation's longest active home winning streak to 24 (dating back to March 21, 2008).
“This was a very disappointing loss,” ninth-year head coach Sherman Corbett said after the game. “We fell behind early but did a great job of getting the momentum in our favor in the middle innings. We had some great at-bats and Red (Patterson) really got on a roll. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to execute defensively or on the mound in the seventh and it cost us the ballgame. We need to put this loss behind us and come out tomorrow ready to even the series up.”
Junior right-handed starter Red Patterson was on cruise control with a 4-3 lead heading into the pivotal frame, having retired 10 of the last 11 hitters he faced after giving up a two-out, run-scoring double in the third to P.J. Sequeira.
Patterson coxed a lead-off grounder to third to open the frame, but junior Lance Brown's throw to first was high and sophomore Brett Aguilar was unable to beat Colby Price to the bag. Justin Mitchell then drew a walk and Danny Duffy followed with a bunt to Aguilar and his throw to Brown at third was not in time and that loaded the bases. Patterson then hit Juan Martinez, which tied the game, and that was all for the Roadrunners? starter.
Seth Furmanek, who was 4-for-4 with two RBIs, followed with a chopper off freshman southpaw Casey Selsor that just got over a leaping Brown and it brought home two more runs. Michael Notaro’s RBI groundout to Aguilar pushed the lead to 7-4 and, after back-to-back walks by Selsor, pinch hitter Robert Barbosa lifted a sacrifice fly to right center that brought home Furmanek with the fifth and final run of the frame.
Right-hander Mark Serrano (3-0), the reigning Summit League Pitcher of the Week, was nearly perfect in picking up his third relief win of the season. Serrano allowed just one base runner, and that came on a throwing error by Martinez, and fanned four in three dominant innings.
Meanwhile, Patterson (1-1) was the hard-luck loser after giving up seven runs (four earned) on a half dozen hits and a pair of walks in six-plus innings. The Frisco native struck out seven and threw first-pitch strikes to 20 of the 29 batters he faced.
The Golden Eagles scored single runs in each of the first three innings off Patterson for a 3-0 lead, but UTSA rallied for a two-spots in both the fourth and fifth to go out in front.
Senior left fielder Jose Hernandez led off the fourth with a double off the left-field wall and he moved to third on sophomore second baseman Ryan Hutson’s single to left. Hernandez came home one batter later when Golden Eagles third baseman Kyle Price dropped a pop fly and senior shortstop Marshal Davis plated Huston with a base hit through the right side of the infield two batters later.
Senior All-America center fielder Michael Rockett began the fifth with a two-bagger to left center and crossed the plate when senior designated hitter Aaron Powell singled through the right side. Powell moved up to second on a wild pitch by ORU starter Andre Lamontagne and to third on Hutson’s ground out to second. He then gave the Birds the lead when he raced home on another wild pitch by Lamontagne.
UTSA threatened to add an insurance run one frame later off Serrano, but Rockett, who reached on Martinez’ throwing error, was gunned down at third trying to advance on a pitch in the dirt for the final out of the inning.
The Roadrunners scored a run in the ninth on junior catcher Ryan Rummel’s run-scoring double with two down, but by then, it was too little, too late.
Sophomore right fielder Tyler Carpenter led UTSA with two hits.
Lamontagne surrendered four runs (two earned) on seven hits and two walks in his five innings of work. He struck out five but threw four wild pitches.
The series continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Senior left-hander Kris Ruepke (0-1, 18.00 ERA) will square off against righty Jerry Sullivan (1-0, 1.50).