THE RUNDOWN
No. 17 DBU (6-3) lost its first road game of the year in a 7-6 walk-off win for Oral Roberts (6-2) at Chapman Park in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Golden Eagles' Makani Tanaka drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth to drive in the game's final run.
 
Joey Nerat opened scoring for the game with a solo home run to left field in the top of the second inning, and the Patriots tacked on an additional run in the fourth when a ground ball hit by Mason Swinney allowed Chayton Krauss to score from third for a 2-0 Patriot lead.
 
In the top of the fifth, Grant Jay sent a towering fly ball over the 400-foot center field wall for DBU's second homer of the game. In the home half of the frame, Micah Bucknam threw a three-up-three-down inning to hold the Golden Eagles scoreless through five innings while punching out five batters and allowing only two hits.
 
ORU crossed the plate for the first time in the sixth when an inning that included two home runs, a fielding error, and two infield hits gave the Golden Eagles a 6-3 advantage.
 
In the eighth, with time running low, Landon Underhill came to the plate as a pinch hitter, drew a leadoff walk, then came around to score on a Tom Poole home run that put the Patriots within one of ORU. In the next at-bat, Grant Jay, facing a new pitcher, sent his second fly ball over the outfield fence to tie the game at 6-6.
 
Liam Watt and the Patriot defense held off the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the eighth but did not muster a run in the ninth. ORU then loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, and Makani Tanaka took a 3-1 pitch that proved to be the last of the game, as each Golden Eagle advanced 90 feet to end the game.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Eight of the nine Patriot position player starters recorded a hit.
- DBU's three through six hitters, Tom Poole, Grant Jay, Chayton Krauss, Joey Nerat, went a combined 10-20 with four runs, one double, four home runs, and five RBI.
- Grant Jay's two-home run day gives him two multi-homer games this season and nine for his career.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4 - The Patriots' four home runs are the most they have hit in a game this season.
13 - DBU's 13 hits are the second-most they have registered this season.
2 - The Patriot infield turned two double plays on Friday.
 
UP NEXT
DBU will be back at Chapman park for game two of its series with ORU on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. Read Full Article