FARGO, N.D. – The top-seeded Golden Eagles did not let an early deficit slow them down as Oral Roberts captured the 21st Summit League Championship title in program history with a 12-4 win over third-seeded South Dakota State Saturday at Newman Outdoor Field.
 
Championship MVP Justin Quinn led a 19-hit attack by going 4-for-5 with a pair of RBI and three runs. Quinn was one of six Golden Eagles to register multiple-hits as his squad scored runs in six different innings.

ORU outfielder Jonah Cox also had four hits as he extended his hitting streak to 41 games with an infield single in the first. Cox also added two RBI on a pair of bunt singles as he now has 20 multi-hit games during the streak that is now tied for the sixth longest by a Division I player in NCAA history.

Jess Bellows opened the scoring with a two-run shot in the bottom of the second that was the first of the season for the Jackrabbits' left fielder as they grabbed an early lead on the defending tournament champion. 

The advantage was short-lived, however, as ORU responded with three runs in the top of the third to take their first lead of the game. Quinn drove in Jake McMurray, who opened the frame with a bloop double behind first base. Holden Breeze, the 2022 Championship MVP, then delivered a two-out, two-run single to put the Golden Eagles in front 3-2.

SDSU would quickly tie the game right back on Dawson Parry's 10th home run of the season as he sent a line drive just over the fence in front of the scoreboard in left field.

SDSU starter Ryan Bourassa, who finished out Friday's 8-2 win over NDSU, got through three innings, but was lifted after ORU catcher Jacob Godman opened the top of the fourth with a solo shot to give ORU the lead back at 4-3. The Golden Eagles would tack on three more runs in the frame off reliever Eli Sundquist and never trail again.

ORU starter Brooks Fowler settled down after the third and would get through the next two innings without yielding a run, while finishing the game with a career-high eight strikeouts. He picked up the ninth win of his sophomore season against just one loss.

The Golden Eagles would plate single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to make it a 10-3 contest. Quinn roped a RBI double in the fifth, Breeze contributed a RBI groundout in the sixth and for the second time in the game, Cox drove in a run with a bunt single.

Drew Stahl capped the scoring for the Golden Eagles with two-run single in the ninth as Summit League Pitcher of the Year Cade Denton finished out the contest by striking out seven over the final 2.2 innings.

Pitcher of Record
Win – Brooks Fowler (9-1): 5.0 IP, 6 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks, 8 strikeouts
Loss – Ryan Bourassa (3-3): 3.0 IP, 5 hits, 4 earned runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts

Notable Notes
• This marks the 19th time that Oral Roberts has won regular season and tournament titles in the same season and first since 2018.
• The Golden Eagles are now 24-2 in Summit League Tournament title games. 
• ORU's center fielder Jonah Cox extended his hitting streak to 41 with an infield single in the top of the first and added a bunt single in the fourth to give him his 20th multi-hit game of the streak and 29th of the season.
• The victory was the 18th straight win for ORU, who improved to 26-1 against Summit League foes this season.
• ORU starter Brooks Fowler struck out a career-high eight batters in five innings of work. The Golden Eagle trio of Fowler, Jacob Widener (2) and Cade Denton (7) combined for 17, which tied the tournament single-game record set by ORU against Southern Utah in 2009.
• SDSU first baseman Dawson Parry hit a solo home run in the third inning that was his 10th of the season. Parry became the third Jackrabbit to reach double figures in home runs, joining Ryan McDonald (17) and Luke Ira (15).
• The Jackrabbits are now 2-5 all-time in tournament title games with their lone victories coming in 2013 against North Dakota State.
 
All-Tournament Team
Justin Quinn, Oral Roberts (Championship MVP)
Jakob Hall, Oral Roberts
Harley Gollert, Oral Roberts
Mac McCroskey, Oral Roberts
Jacob Godman, Oral Roberts
Holden Breeze, Oral Roberts
Nic Nelson, South Dakota State
Jess Bellows, South Dakota State
Reece Anderson, South Dakota State
Ryan Bourassa, South Dakota State
Jake Goble, South Dakota State
Tristen Roehrich, North Dakota State
James Dunlap, North Dakota State
Eddie Satisky, Omaha

Up Next
ORU will find out where it will be sent for an NCAA Regional on Monday with the NCAA Baseball Selection Show set to air at 11 a.m. CT on ESPN2.

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