Arizona State
Tempe, AZ – Much like Top 40 radio, the hits just keep on coming in Tempe as Sunday’s early elimination game once again saw Oral Roberts and Kent State combine to mash out 32 hits and 25 runs. Yet Oral Roberts would make the ball fly deeper as five different Golden Eagles hit home runs in the 15 to 10 victory. The loss eliminated Kent State from Regional play and gave Oral Roberts another chance against Arizona State later in the day.
Hits were harder to come by in the later rematch game between Arizona State and Oral Roberts. But the pitching wasn’t quite as impressive as Saturday nights winners bracket game when both schools threw their ace. But the end result was the same, as the Sun Devils 8 to 3 victory would hand ORU its second loss of the Regional and end their season. The win will allow ASU to host it’s third straight Super Regional next weekend against the eventually winner of the Clemson Regional.
Despite taking an early lead on Sunday afternoon, Kent State would give up nine runs to Oral Roberts in the top of the fourth and five more in the top of the fifth. A valiant comeback attempt resulted in seven runs for the Golden Flashes in the bottom of the eighth, however the whole was too deep. In the bottom of the ninth ORU called upon Jeff Burleson who retired KSU in order to secure the victory. Golden Eagles who flew out of the yard with home runs on Sunday afternoon included: Juan Martinez, Michael Notaro, P.J. Sequeira, Kyle Price and Seth Fumanek.
In the second game walks (10 combined) outpaced hits (9 combined) as the evening progressed on Sunday. Oral Roberts would only have four hits on the night, but using half of them in the first inning and taking advantage of a walk and an error staked the Golden Eagles to a 3 to 0 lead. ORU starter Drew Bowen would hold the Sun Devils at bay until the bottom of the sixth when three walks and a hit would finish his night. Jameson Dunn would eventually end the ASU sixth by striking out the side, but in between throw a wild pitch and allow a Zack MacPhee two run single and that would be all the Sun Devils would need. But Jared McDonald would add some extra insurance runs for Arizona State with an inside the park home run in the bottom of the eighth.
