OMAHA, Neb. -- Top-seeded Oral Roberts used a seven-run, second inning to post an 11-2 victory over No. 4 seed South Dakota State in the opening game of the 2025 Baseball Championship at Tal Anderson Field.
After a scoreless first inning, the first six Golden Eagles reached to start the second and ORU took advantage, plating seven runs off SDSU starter Arlen Peters. Designated hitter Owen Coil started the scoring with a two-run double, right fielder Will Edmunson drew a bases loaded walk and left fielder Cooper Combs added a sacrifice fly to put ORU ahead 4-0.
Catcher Kane-Yates would tack on a three-run homer off Peters before he was relieved by Ty Madison. The pitching change slowed things done but not before ORU left the frame with a 7-0 advantage.
That would be all the run support Newcomer of the Year Easton Teel would need as he tossed a career-best eight innings, allowing only two earned runs in his final frame to win his seventh game of the season.
After back-to-back scoreless frames in the third and fourth, the Golden Eagles pushed their lead to double figures with a three-run fifth inning. Martell Davis delivered the first run with an RBI single, then an error in center field by Owen Siegert allowed the final two runs to score.
ORU would cap its scoring in the seventh, drawing four walks and scoring a run on a wild pitch to build an 11-0 lead.
The Jackrabbits' offense was only able to muster five singles off Teel through the first seven innings before finally breaking through in the eighth. Shortstop Carter Sintek and third baseman Nolan Grawe delivered back-to-back sacrifce flies to put the Jacks on the scoreboard.
Those would be the only two tallies SDSU could manage as Teel worked out of the inning and Cooper Moore pitched a clean ninth inning to secure the win.
Pitcher of Record
Win – Teel (7-2): 8.0 IP, 8 hits, 2 earned run, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Loss – Peters (1-5): 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 6 earned runs, 3 walks, 1 strikeouts
Notable Notes
• ORU is now 19-0 all-time against South Dakota State in tournament play
• ORU head coach Ryan Folmar recorded his 378th victory to equal former Valparaiso head coach Paul Twenge for the most wins in Summit League history
• ORU is now 24-0 in opening games of the championship as a league member
• Both teams finished with eight hits while ORU drew 10 walks and had three hit batsmen
• Kane-Yates home run was his 12th of the season and fifth in the last five games (all against SDSU)
• Jess Bellows led the Jackrabbits with a pair of singles
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Up Next
Oral Roberts will play the winner of the contest between No. 2 seed North Dakota State and No. 3 seed Omaha at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday, while the Jackrabbits will play the loser of that contest earlier in the day with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. CT.
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