THE LEAD
No. 26 DBU lost to Oral Roberts by a score of 7-4 on Friday night at Horner Ballpark. The Patriots (3-2) held a 4-0 lead through the first seven innings and allowed seven unanswered runs in the eighth and ninth innings.
 
Reliever Jake Morrison (1-0) earned the win for the Golden Eagles after closing out the seventh inning. Closer Seth Elledge (0-1) picked up the loss for the Patriots, giving up three runs on three hits in 1 2/3 innings. Holden Cammack (1) got his first save of the season with 1 2/3 innings of hitless and scoreless work.
 
In the bottom of the first, third baseman Austin Listi reached on an error by the third baseman, followed by an infield single by right fielder Justin Wall. A balk by starter Bryce Howe advanced the runners to second and third, setting up an RBI single for first baseman Darick Hall. Listi sparked the Patriots offense again in the fifth with a leadoff single. Designated hitter Trooper Reynolds doubled down the left field line to place runners at second and third with two outs. In the following at bat, center fielder David Martinelli lined out to center field to end the inning.
 
Oral Roberts threatened in the seventh inning, beginning with a single by Nick Roark. After Matt Whatley reached on an error by Listi, Brent Williams flied out before Michael Hungate singled to load the bases. Poche struck out Rolando Martinez and forced Cummings to groundout to shortstop Camden Duzenack to escape the jam.
 
Duzenack led off the bottom of the seventh with a double, and Listi reached on another Golden Eagle error. DBU took advantage of a second balk, called on reliever Grant Glaze, to move the runners up 90 feet. A walk of Wall loaded the bases for the Patriots with no outs. A one-out groundout by Reynolds knocked in Duzenack and forced Glaze out of the game. Martinelli increased the DBU lead to 4-0 with a two-run double with two outs off of Jake Morrison.
 
Freshman Jordan Martinson came in for relief of Poche in the eighth inning and hit the leadoff batter, Trevin Sonnier. Chase Stafford singled to right center, and an error by Wall allowed the runners to advance to second and third. On the next at bat, Nick Rotola singled to score Sonnier, and another error by Wall allowed Stafford to come home as well. Roark cut the lead to one with an RBI double, bringing in Rotola.           
 
DBU coach Dan Heefner went to his closer, Seth Elledge, with no outs in the eighth. Elledge allowed a single to Whatley to put runners at the corners. A successful squeeze play by Williams scored Roark to even the score at 4-4. Hungate singled on the following at bat and stole second base to put runners at second and third. A wild pitch by Elledge allowed Whatley to cross the plate. Elledge forced Cummings to ground out to end the eighth inning.
 
Second baseman Connor Hall led off the bottom of the eighth with a single off reliever Brady Womacks and advanced to second on a throwing error. A successful sacrifice off the bat off catcher Matt Duce moved Hall to third before Womack was replaced by Holden Cammack. Cammack converted the final two outs of the inning to preserve the Golden Eagles' 5-4 lead.
 
Elledge led off the ninth inning with a hit-by-pitch against Sonnier, followed by two strikeouts. After Sonnier stole second, Roark doubled off the wall in left-center to knock in Sonnier and increase ORU's lead to 6-4. Gavin Fritz entered the game for Elledge and allowed Roark to move to third on a wild pitch, and a fielding error committed by Duzenack brought in Roark.
 
COACH DAN HEEFNER – ON POCHE'S START
"Colin had a great, great start. It's tough to lose a game when you get that kind of start."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
 - DBU went 5-for-24 with runners on base, while Oral Roberts went 8-for-20.
 - Starter Colin Poche had the longest start of his career at seven innings.
 - The Patriots went just 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
 
IN THE NUMBERS
25 – DBU got out to a quick start and forced 25 pitches by ORU starter Bryce Howe in the first inning.
4 – The Patriots have scored first in all four games this season.
10 – DBU stranded 10 men on the basepaths.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU and Oral Roberts face off for the second game of the series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Horner Ballpark. Dalton Higgins (1-0) takes the mound for the Patriots against Nick Wood (0-0) for the Golden Eagles.