The Northern Colorado baseball team finished its Summit League series against Oral Roberts with a loss and a tie Sunday at Jackson Field in Greeley.
Oral Roberts, the defending league champions, defeated the Bears 15-8 in the first game. The second game ended 5-5 after eight innings because of time limits on the Golden Eagles’ travel schedule.
ORU (4-7-1 Summit League, 12-19-1 overall) led 6-1 after four innings in the first game. Pitcher Brooks Fowler struck out 11 UNC batters in five innings to earn the win. Fowler allowed one run on two hits with four walks. The Golden Eagles hit three home runs in the game including a three-run homer by David Herring in the eighth inning for a 15-3 lead.
Hunter Gibson took the loss for UNC after allowing eight runs (all earned) on 10 hits with five strikeouts, two walks and two hit batters. Caden Wagner hit a grand slam in the bottom of the eighth for UNC. The home run was Wagner’s second of the season.
UNC (5-6-1, 6-24-1) led 3-1 after four innings in Game 2. Oral Roberts tied the game 3-3 in the fifth on a sacrifice fly and an outfield error. UNC went ahead 5-3 in the seventh on a Kai Wagner single and a Carson Gross sacrifice fly.
Oral Roberts tied the game with two more unearned runs in the eighth.
Kai Wagner’s error at third allowed Sam Thompson to reach base in leading off the inning. Thompson scored three batters later on a single by pinch hitter Martell Davis. Davis later scored the game-tying run on a single by Elijah Rodriguez.
The three-game series was originally scheduled for one game Friday-Sunday. Inclement weather including high winds forced the postponement of Saturday’s game, pushing it to Sunday for the doubleheader.
Oral Roberts defeated UNC 16-3 Friday in the first game of the series.
UNC hosts North Dakota State in another Summit League series Friday-Sunday at Jackson Field.
