Oral Roberts Pulls Away Late to Take Series Finale from Salukis, 6–2

Sunday, February 15

Tulsa, OK

1 PM

Southern Illinois University

1-2

Oral Roberts

2-1

Southern Ill.

Oral Roberts

Charlie Miller

Photo by: ORU Athletics: Raelynn Hahn

Oral Roberts Pulls Away Late to Take Series Finale from Salukis, 6–2

02/15/2026 | 9:48:00 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Aaron Price, SIUSalukis.com

TULSA, Okla. — Southern Illinois wrapped up its opening weekend Sunday afternoon with a 6–2 loss to Oral Roberts in the final game of a three-game series at J.L. Johnson Stadium.

SIU struck first in the opening inning. After Cecil Lofton worked a walk, Kye Watson drove a ball down the right-field line for a solo home run, giving the Salukis a 1–0 lead.

Oral Roberts answered in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game on an RBI single from Makani Tanaka. The Golden Eagles threatened again in the second, but SIU starter Ryan Halamicek worked out of trouble to keep the game even.

The Salukis regained the lead in the fifth when Julio Guerrero singled and later came around to score on a sacrifice fly by Cecil Lofton, putting SIU in front 2–1.

Oral Roberts took control in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings. The Golden Eagles tied the game on an RBI double by Cooper Combs, then pushed ahead during a three-run sixth inning that proved to be the turning point. Tanaka and Combs each delivered RBI hits in the frame, and a wild pitch also allowed a run to score as ORU built a 5–2 advantage.

The Golden Eagles added another run in the eighth on a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 6–2.

SIU threatened at times, but could not string together enough offense late. Gabe Petrucelli had a single, and Matthew Simay and Michael Mylott each reached base during a sixth-inning rally that produced the Salukis' second run, but Oral Roberts pitching closed the door over the final three innings.

On the mound, SIU used multiple arms, including Halamicek, Dylan Petrey, Blake Kimball, Jack MacIntosh, and others in relief as the Golden Eagles gradually pulled away.

Southern Illinois finishes the opening series with a 1–2 record after taking the opener and dropping the final two games in Tulsa.

UP NEXT

The Salukis are scheduled to return to action Friday, Feb. 20, when they begin a weekend set in North Carolina, opening against North Carolina A&T as part of a multi-team event.

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