Sunday, April 16, 2006

Oral Roberts completed what turned out to be a three-game sweep of Valparaiso on Sunday afternoon as the Golden Eagles defeated the Crusaders 12-3 in game one of a scheduled doubleheader at Emory G. Bauer Field. Game two was called in the top of the second inning due to thunderstorms and will not be made up.

The Golden Eagles jumped in front early, batting around in the opening inning. Chad Rothford singled home one and Tim Torres followed with an RBI double. Andy Bouchie capped the inning with a two-run double, which turned out to be all the scoring Oral Roberts would need.

Single tallies in the second and third made it 6-0 Golden Eagles before Boucie homered to lead off the fifth. Oral Roberts would add to more runs in the inning to increase the lead to nine before Valpo found the scoreboard.

Ryan Manthei (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper H.S.) homered to left field in the bottom of the fifth marked just the second hit of the day for the Brown and Gold.

Lightning and light rain forced the game to be delayed 51 minutes in the bottom of the sixth inning. When play resumed, Colin Reynolds (Crookston, Minn./Central H.S.) singled to score Kevin Perri (South Bend, Ind./Adams H.S.) in the bottom of the inning. Valpo added a third run in the seventh on a single by Perri to score pinch-hitter Joe Lazar (Traverse City, Mich./Central H.S.), who opened the inning with an infield hit.

Oral Roberts added three more runs in the top of the ninth, two on a double by Brendan Duffy, to complete the victory.

Daniel Greenwalt (2-2) earned the win for the Golden Eagles, working eight innings, allowing nine hits and just one walk while striking out eight. Matt Gillikin (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton H.S.) (0-3) suffered the loss for Valpo, allowing five runs and four hits while walking five in just 1.2 innings.

Duffy finished the day 3-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBIs for Oral Roberts while Boucie added three more runs batted in. Reynolds and Perri each had two hits for the Crusaders.

The nightcap got underway a little after 4 p.m. and had two outs in the top of the second inning when lightning and severe storms moved into the area. Play was called for the day shortly after 5 p.m., and the game will not be resumed.

Valparaiso (6-21, 1-6 Mid-Con) will return to the diamond on Tuesday afternoon as the Crusaders head to Evanston, Ill. to face the Northwestern Wildcats. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.