Box Score

FORT WORTH, TX – On a hot and humid Sunday night at Lupton Stadium with a NCAA Super Regional appearance just one victory away, the Patriots took on Oral Roberts University only to fall to the Golden Eagles, 7-2. The loss drops the Patriots to 41-18 overall and forces a second game against ORU on Monday evening. The winner of tomorrow's contest will advance to Super Regional play.

Just a hour and half after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs, 8-4, the Golden Eagles got off to a hot start against Sophomore pitcher Will Lane in the top of the first inning. After Lane hit one batter and walked another, Jared Schlehuber of ORU drove a line shot to right center field to drive in two, giving the Golden Eagles the early 2-0 lead.

ORU carried their momentum in to the top of the third inning as designated hitter, Brandon King, sent a towering two-run homerun over the right field wall to extend the Golden Eagle lead to 4-0.

The Patriots fired back in the bottom of the third inning as Junior Ryan Behmanesh sent a line shot over the ORU center fielder, scoring Freshman KJ Alexander from second base, making the score 4-1.

DBU lessened the ORU lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when Sophomore Duncan McAlpine drove in Junior Joel Hutter, who drew a walk early in the inning on slow hit ground ball to second base, making the score 4-2.

After walking the leadoff batter in the fifth, Lane was relieved by Junior Michael Smith, only to give up a single to the ORU designated hitter, Brandon King. King's single to center drove in the leadoff runner, giving the Golden Eagles a 5-2 lead. Smith pitched himself out of the jam with runners on first and second, striking out two ORU batters.

The Golden Eagles tacked on another run in the top of the eighth inning as shortstop Cam Schiller hit a line-drive homerun over the right field wall, his second hit of the day, to extend ORU's lead to 6-2.

The Golden Eagles were able to extend their lead with one more run in the ninth. After a pair of walks, Smith gave up a RBI sacrifice fly to Schiller, leaving ORU with the 7-2 win.

Lane was dealt the loss for the Patriots after going four innings and allowing four earned runs on three hits. Smith closed out the final five innings, allowing two earned on four hits, and striking out three.
The seventh and final game of the Fort Worth Regional Tournament on Monday evening will decide who advances to Super Regional action. Game time at Lupton Stadium is set for 7:03 p.m.