Mar 13th, 2007 04:41AM
by:

By STEVE EAST
UCA SID

TULSA — A pair of Oral Roberts pitchers combined for a four-hitter Friday (March 9) in a 10-4 victory over the University of Central Arkansas Bears at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Starter Marcus Tackett allowed three hits and three runs in 4 2/3 innings, while reliever Jeremy  Hefner went the final 4 1/3 innings and allowed a hit and a run and struck out six.

The Bears (7-6) never led but stayed close to the Golden Eagles (6-8) until the seventh inning. ORU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Kelly Minisale hit a two-run home run. UCA answered in the top of the third when starting pitcher Grant Gatlin, doubling as the designated hitter, hit an 0-1 pitch over the right-center fence to score Chris Davis and tie the game at 2-2.

The Golden Eagles went back ahead on an RBI single by Adam Younger in the fourth but the Bears responded again. Senior shortstop Jonathan Ashworth homered to dead center to make it 3-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Brian Van Kirk led off with a walk from UCA reliever James Parsons and Carter McQuigg followed with a two-run shot to left field, good for a 5-3 lead. UCA got one run back in the seventh with the help of a passed ball, a walk, a balk, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single by Kevin Rawls.

But the Golden Eagles put the game out of reach with four runs in the bottom of that inning as UCA’s pitching and defense both got the Bears in trouble. Two straight ORU batters were hit by a pitch, then a balk moved both runners up. Stephen Pearson doubled in both and an error allowed another run to score. Younger’s RBI single made it 9-4.

ORU’s Brendan Duffy tripled to lead off the eighth and scored the final run on Jake Kahaulelio’s ground out. The Golden Eagles finished with 11 hits against four UCA pitchers.

The teams resume the three-game series at 2 p.m. today. The final game will be played at 1 p.m. Sunday.