SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The North Dakota State University baseball team (20-30) dropped its opening round game of the Summit League Baseball Championship, presented by First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, to top-seeded Oral Roberts (39-14), 4-2, on Wednesday, May 20, at Sioux Falls Stadium.

The Bison will face the loser of the South Dakota State/Fort Wayne opening round contest in an elimination game on Thursday, May 21, at 2 p.m.

NDSU jumped out to an early 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Danny Regan plated the opening run of the game after hitting a lead-off solo home run to right-center on the 15th pitch of his at bat, before Ben Petersen crossed home plate on an ORU wild pitch for the second run of the frame.

The Golden Eagles responded, though, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a NDSU throwing error, a two RBI double from Derrian James and a RBI triple from Matt Brandy to gain a 4-2 lead.

The Bison had a chance to either tie or take the lead with two outs and runners on first and second in the top of the ninth, but a strikeout ended the opportunity and secured the victory for Oral Roberts.

Ben Petersen went 2-for-4 at the plate, and Regan finished 1-for-3 with his first homer of the season and a RBI to lead the Bison in the batter's box.

Trent Keefer took the loss on the mound for the Bison after surrendering four earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts to fall to 4-7 on the season.

James paced the Golden Eagles at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI, while Noah Cummings added a 3-for-4 performance.   

ORU starter Guillermo Trujillo picked up the win on the bump after throwing five and two-thirds innings and allowing two earned runs with three strikeouts and three walks to improve to 10-3 overall.