The Basics
Score: No. 12 Oral Roberts 7 – Western Illinois 4
Records: No. 12 ORU (41-11, 21-1), Western Illinois (12-38, 8-14)
Location: Macomb, Ill. (Alfred D. Boyer Stadium)
Win: Harley Gollert (9-1) | Loss: Jack Bell (2-5) | Save: Cade Denton (12)
 
MACOMB, Ill. – The No. 12 Oral Roberts baseball team pushed its win streak to 13 games with a 7-4 victory over Western Illinois in the series opener Thursday afternoon from Alfred D. Boyer Stadium in Macomb, Illinois.

The 13 consecutive wins mark the Golden Eagles' longest streak since 2007. Over its last 34 contests, ORU is now 31-3.

Harley Gollert picked up his League-leading ninth win of the season in relief after tossing 3.2 innings of one-run baseball to go along with six strikeouts. Closer Cade Denton notched his League-best 12th save of the 2023 campaign after throwing a perfect ninth with two strikeouts. 

On the offensive end, Jake McMurray, Matt Hogan and Jacob Godman each registered multi-hit performances. Center fielder Jonah Cox extended his hit streak to 36 games and has recorded a hit in 51 of the 52 contests this season.

Hogan opened the scoring in the first with a ground-rule RBI double down the right-field line that plated McMurray, who led off the game with a walk. The redshirt senior then robbed a Leatherneck home run in the bottom half of the first to keep the Golden Eagles in front, 1-0.

In the third, McMurray crossed the plate on a balk to put ORU up 2-0. The Leathernecks evened the score, 2-2, in the bottom half of the frame with a two-run homer. 

Drew Stahl put the Golden Eagles back in front, 3-2, in the next frame as the junior launched a solo homer to left. The long ball marked the 10th of the season for the Phoenix, Arizona, native.

Western Illinois answered once again as an RBI single in the bottom half of the fourth tied the game at 3-3.

Following a Mac McCroskey single and Holden Breeze walk to lead off the eighth, Stahl laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners on second and third with one out for Godman. The senior catcher delivered with an RBI single to left, putting ORU back in front, 4-3. Breeze later crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly from Blaze Brothers, increasing the advantage to 5-3.

A fielding error on a McMurray double allowed Godman to score the final run of the frame as the Golden Eagle lead grew to 6-3.

After the Leathernecks got a run back in the bottom half of the eighth, Hogan added insurance for ORU in the ninth with a solo blast to straightaway center. The long ball marked Hogan's team-leading 16th of the season. 

In the bottom half of the ninth, Denton retired the side in order and struck out two to close out the 7-4 victory.

Inside the Box Score
- ORU totaled seven runs on 11 hits.
- Godman, Hogan and McMurray each registered multi-hit performances.
- Hogan drove in a game-high tying two RBI.
- McMurray scored a game-best two runs and stole a base.
- As a staff, the Golden Eagles struck out 11.
- Jakob Hall got the start and allowed three runs over 3.2 innings of work.
- Caleb Isaacs and Jacob Widener each registered scoreless appearances.

Notes
- Thursday's series opener marked the 109th meeting all-time between the two clubs.
- With the win, ORU is 91-18 all-time against Western Illinois and has won 10 straight in the series.
- The Golden Eagles collected their 13th straight win and 11th in a row on the road. 
- ORU is now 31-3 in its last 34 games. 
- Cox pushed his hit streak to 36 games and has recorded a hit in 51 of the 52 games this season.
- McMurray has now hit in 14 straight games and made his 134th consecutive start.
- The senior also logged his fourth straight multi-hit performance and 22nd of the year.
- Hogan extended his on-base streak to 24 games.
- Breeze has reached base safely in 18 consecutive contests.

Up Next
The Golden Eagles will look to claim the series tomorrow at 2 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.

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