The Basics
Score: Oral Roberts 6 – Northern Illinois 1
Records: ORU (4-0), Northern Illinois (0-4)
Location: Tulsa, Okla. (J.L. Johnson Stadium)
Win: Brooks Fowler (1-0) | Loss: DJ Hess (0-1) 
 
TULSA, Okla. – Brooks Fowler tossed five shutout innings and Matt Hogan went deep as the Oral Roberts baseball team completed the four-game sweep of Northern Illinois with a 6-1 victory Sunday afternoon at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

Fowler tacked on four strikeouts in his 2023 debut en route to his second career win. In relief, Reed Ronan tossed 1.1 scoreless innings, while Evan Kowalski worked 2.1 innings and allowed one run.

Hogan led the charge offensively for the Golden Eagles as the senior launched his third homer of the weekend and drove in a game-best four runs. On the afternoon, seven different Golden Eagles logged a hit.

After three scoreless frames, ORU broke through on the scoreboard in the fourth as Holden Breeze plated Jake McMurray on a sacrifice fly. A batter later, Jonah Cox pushed the lead to 2-0 with an RBI groundout that scored Hogan. 

In the fifth, Hogan broke the game open with a three-run blast to right-center as the Golden Eagles' advantage jumped to 5-0. The Melville, New York, native later plated the final run of the afternoon for ORU with an RBI fielder's choice in the seventh. 

The Huskies broke up the shutout in the ninth on a two-out infield single by Colin Summerhill. Kowalski ended the NIU threat with a strikeout of the ensuing batter as ORU went on to win, 6-1.

Inside the Box Score
- Hogan and McMurray each went 2-for-4 at the dish to lead the Golden Eagles.
- Hogan and Quinn each crossed the plate a game-best two times.
- Seven of nine Golden Eagles recorded a hit on the day.
- Cox and Hogan both swiped their first bag of the season in the win.
- Sam Thompson picked up his first triple of the year in the fourth.

Notes
- The four-game set marked the first meeting all-time between ORU and NIU.
- With the win, ORU is off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2009.
- The Opening Weekend sweep marked the Golden Eagles' first since 2019.
- ORU's seven runs allowed through the first four games are its lowest since the 2006 campaign (3).
- McCroskey has now reached base in 26 straight games, dating back to last season.
- The win marked the second of Fowler's career.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles remain at J.L. Johnson Stadium for a midweek contest against Missouri State Wednesday, February 22 at 3 p.m.

For the latest information on ORU Baseball, follow the Golden Eagles on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or go to www.ORUAthletics.com. Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the ORU Athletics app from the App Store or Google Play Store.