Golden Eagles sweep South Dakota State 4-0
Oral Roberts swept a four-game series at South Dakota State to win a share of the Summit League regular season title. ORU finished tied with St. Thomas with identical conference records (21-9), but St. Thomas is not eligible for post-season play, as they are in their final year of the provisional period since moving from Division III to Division I.
As the regular season champions, the Golden Eagles are the No. 1 seed in the Summit League Tournament this week in Omaha. However, St. Thomas won four of the six games between the two teams this season and thus will host the Summit League tournament next year.
ORU swept SDSU by using a strong offensive performance including several home runs in the series.
The Golden Eagles took both games of a double header on Thursday, by the scores of 11-4 and 14-11. ORU hit a total of nine home runs in the two games. Leading the way was Wailele Kane-Yates who homered four times and drove in eight runs through the two victories, giving him a team leading total of 12 homers on the season.
On Friday, ORU erased a six-run deficit to beat the Jackrabbits, 13-11, in another high scoring game. Will Edmunson blasted his second three-run homer of the weekend with two outs in the ninth inning, lifting ORU to its 33rd victory of the season.
The Golden Eagles scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but the two teams exchanged runs over the next couple innings, before SDSU broke the game open by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third, highlighted by a grand slam, to take a 7-4 lead.
SDSU scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth to extend their lead to 10-4.
ORU battled back and scored four runs in the top of the ninth to take a 13-11 lead. Golden Eagles’ relief pitcher Jack Hill pitched the bottom of the ninth and retired the Jackrabbits first three batters for the win.
In the final game of the regular season on Saturday, the Golden Eagles scored four runs in the eighth inning, including a solo home run by Edmunson, to beat South Dakota State, 9-2, and complete the four-game sweep.
With the win, ORU finished the regular season with a record of 34-20 and 21-9 in the Summit League. The Golden Eagles opened Summit League tournament play on Wednesday.
OU Loses Two of Three to Texas
Texas dominated Oklahoma to win two of three games in the season ending series in Norman.
The Longhorns won the first game of the series on Thursday, 7-4.
The Sooners held a 3-1 lead through five innings before the Longhorns rallied to take a 4-3 lead at the top of the eighth. In the home half of the eighth, Oklahoma scored a single run to tie the game 4-4.
The Longhorns put the game away in the top of the ninth when Max Belyeu hit a three-run home run to put Texas ahead 7-4.
OU won the middle game of the series on Friday, 8-6, in front of a single-game record crowd of 5,177 at L. Dale Mitchell Park.
Dawson Willis hit a two-run, go-ahead homer in the bottom of the eighth to give OU its second top five victory of the season. Senior reliever Dylan Crooks earned his 13th save of the season in the ninth, leaving the bases loaded with a fly out to left field.
On Saturday, Texas defeated OU 9-1, in a game hampered by a two-hour rain delay.
Texas had a 4-1 lead over the Sooners through seven innings, but then scored five runs over the last two innings to put the game away.
OU starting pitcher Malachi Witherspoon struck out 10, one shy of his career high. It was the second start in his last six games with double-digit strikeouts.
The Sooners finished the regular season with a 33-19 record overall and 14-16 in the SEC. The Longhorns are 42-11, 22-8 SEC.
OU was the No. 12 seed entering the SEC Tournament on Tuesday and was scheduled to face the No. 13 seed Kentucky. Hoover Met Stadium in Hoover, Alabama.
OSU Sweeps ASU
Oklahoma State swept the Arizona State Sun Devils in their season ending three-game series and clinched the No. 7 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.
OSU beat Arizona State 6-2 in Thursday’s series opener at O’Brate Stadium.
The Cowboys’ Harrison Bodendorf earned his 14th start of the season and once again made his case for Big 12 pitcher of the year. Bodendorf worked seven innings, striking out eight and allowing just one run to move to 10-1 on the season.
OSU offense in the game was provided by Nolan Schubart and Colin Brueggemann, each with solo home runs, and Brayden Smith who knocked in three runs with a double in the bottom of the second inning, giving OSU a 5-1 lead.
In the second game of the series on Friday, OSU got past ASU, 9-6.
The Cowboys scored four runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead and scored another three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to extend their lead.
Smith again came up big for the Cowboys as he went 4-for-4 in the game with a home run, Kollin Ritchie added three hits, and three RBIs and Schubart had a three-run homer.
The series wrapped up on Saturday, as OSU scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and cruised to a 7-4 win.
Once again Smith was the catalyst for the Cowboy offense in the finale, continuing his excellent series with a 3-for-4 game that included both a home run and a steal of home. Schubart and Brueggemann also homered in the contest.
Ryan Ure picked up the win in relief of starter Hunter Watkins, who worked 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs while striking out eight. Ure improved to 2-4 on the season as he gave up one run on two hits over 1 2/3 frames.
With the series sweep, the Cowboys improved to 27-22 overall and 15-12 in Big 12 play, while ASU dropped to 35-21 and 18-12 in the Big 12. OSU opened play at the Big 12 Championship Wednesday against the No. 10 seed Baylor, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.