By Phil Stanton
CBI Co-Founder and Editor
OMAHA, Neb. – Oh Brothers what a game!
Senior Blaze Brothers belted a three-run in the top of the ninth to erase a 5-3 deficit and lift Oral Roberts to a 6-5 win over TCU to kick off the 2023 College World Series.
The Golden Eagles (52-12) trailed 5-2 heading to the ninth against a team that was 37-1 this season when leading after eight innings. Mac McCroskey had a leadoff single to third and went to second on an errant throw to first. A base hit by Holden Breeze (3 for 4) moved McCroskey to third.
Drew Stahl had a base hit to plate McCroskey to narrow the gap to 5-3. Sam Thompson pinch-ran for Stahl. With one away, Brothers belted a dinger to left to put ORU up 6-5.
“When Mac scored,” Brothers said, “he said he’s throwing nothing but sliders. That was my approach, see something up, hanging. And he left me two hanging and I took advantage of it.”
Cade Denton, named Stopper of the Year earlier in day, saw the Horned Frogs (42-23) score three in the eighth to snap a 2-2 tie. He fanned Boyers to start the ninth before a single by Austin Davis and a walk to Elijah Nunez put the tying run in scoring position.
Denton (3-1) struck out Karson Bowen and saw Brayden Taylor line out to left to end the game.
“That’s not the first time we’ve had to overcome some adversity in the postseason,” said ORU head coach Ryan Folmar. “We’re down 8-0 in the second inning in the regional to Washington, a really good club. We blew an 8-0 lead and had to come back and win a series after Game 1 in Eugene.
“It’s a shortened game at that moment. And it’s got to happen quick. But out guys don’t quit. They’re going to keep playing. They’re going to keep fighting. They’re going to find a way.”
Pitchers had the upper hand early. ORU had runners on in each of the first four innings, but could not score.
The Frogs had one runner on in each of the first three frames before Cole Fontenelle smacked his 14th home run in the bottom of the fourth as TCU took a 1-0 edge.
Justin Quinn (4 for 5) had a leadoff double in the sixth. With two away, McCroskey lined a homer to the bullpen in right, his 14th, as The Eagles took a 2-1 advantage.
Bowen led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and came home on a base hit by Fontenelle to level the score at 2-2.
“If the first game is any indication of the 2023 College World Series, it’s going to be a pretty special one,” said TCU head coach Kirk Saarloos. “I thought both teams played extremely well. T thought both starting pitchers did exactly what we thought they were going to do.”
Both starters logged 5.0 innings. Jakob Hall for the Eagles allowed four hits and two runs with two walks and three strikeouts. Kole Klecker for the Frogs gave up five hits and one run with one walk and one punchout.
Jonah Cox for ORU went 0-5 and had his 47-game hitting streak snapped, the third-longest in NCAA Division I history.