Golden Eagles Ride Gerk's Arm To Win Over Delaware

May 27, 2000

CWS Audio:
Delaware Audio
ORU Audio

Postgame Quotes

Oklahoma City, Okla. - Lefthander Jordan Gerk scattered seven hits over eight innings and shortstop Steve Holm drove home a pair of runs, leading Oral Roberts University to a 4-2 win over Delaware in an NCAA Regional baseball elimination game at the Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ball Park Saturday afternoon.

The victory sets up a meeting with either Oklahoma or UCLA for the Golden Eagles, now 49-14, and sends the Blue Hens, 37-20, home.

Gerk, 8-5, struck out five and walked three before surrendering a leadoff single to Vince Vukovich in the ninth and giving way to reliever Jackson Markert. Dave Mullin, 10-5, went the distance for the Blue Hens, giving up seven hits, walking four and fanning three.

"I couldn't say more about the effort of Jordan Gerk," ORU Coach Sunny Golloway commented after the game, which started at 11 a.m., barely nine hours after the Golden Eagles' 6-5, extra inning, rain-delayed loss to Oklahoma. "We had a tremendous concern after the late night about being fatigued and coming back. In all honesty, I know that my guys care about the game so much and worked so hard to get to this point. Our guys did what it took. All things considered, this was a tremendous effort by our young men."

"The first three or four innings, I really didn't have my stuff," Gerk said. "Then it just clicked. I really was just worried about spotting my pitches."

Oral Roberts got all the runs it needed early in the game, plating a run in the first on a walk, an error and Holm's single to left field. The Golden Eagles scored again in the third when Holm grounded out to first, bringing home Bryan Gann, who had singled and advanced on Eric Vandeventer's base hit.

The Golden Eagles stretched their lead to 4-0 in the fourth inning on singles by Trevor Leu, Billy Joe Richardson and Jeff Stallings and Gann's sacrifice fly. Delaware scored in the fifth on a pair of walks and Reid Gorecki's single to left center, one of his three hits. The rally was cut short when Andrew Salvo's bid for a base hit ended with a diving catch by Vandeventer, ORU's left fielder.

Gerk held Delaware in check until the ninth, when Steve Harden followed Vukovich's single with a base hit off Markert. After a fielder's choice, Casey Fahy singled to left to score Vukovich, but Markert secured the win by striking out Gorecki and retiring Salvo on a line drive to left.

Delaware Coach Bob Hannah, who is retiring after 36 seasons at the helm of the Blue Hen baseball program, gave credit to Gerk and the ORU defense.

"They played exceptionally well and he pitched well," Hannah commented. "I thought that our club played as aggressively as they could. We just couldn't' get anything with this lefthander."

"When you are coaching and you decide that you are at the end of your career, you are really happy to end it at a regional tournament," he added. "I was particularly happy to see our kids play well and not back down in any of these games. It has been a great career, and this was a great way to end it."

Postgame Quotes
2000 NCAA Baseball Tournament
Oklahoma City Regional
May 26, 2000

Game 1 - No. 3 ORU vs. No. 4 Delaware

ORU Head Coach Sunny Galloway
(On Jordan Gerk's performance) - "I couldn't say more about the effort of Jordan Gerk. We had one star today and we rode that horse. "

(On the quick turn around) - "We had a tremendous concern after the late night about being fatigued and coming back. In all honesty I know that my guys care about the game so much and have worked so hard to get to this point. I know that they probably didn't get much sleep last night, I know that I didn't. Our guys did what it took, I know that we had some lapses, but we could have scored a few more times. I think all things considered this was a tremendous effort by our young men."

Player Jordan Gerk
(On today's performance) - This first three or four innings, I really didn't have my stuff. Then it just clicked. I really was just worried about spotting my pitches. I got it (a blister on his hand) in the seventh inning. I just threw a fast ball and it opened up, but it really didn't affect me."

Player Bryan Gann
(On team's defense) - "We put up a zero in the error column and that is what we strive for in every game. Jordan was throwing strikes and working fast keeping the defense involved in the game. This time of year it isn't that hard to play, because we are running on pure adrenaline."

Delaware Head Coach Bob Hannah
(On his team's tournament performance) - "I think that the difference in today's ballgame was young Mr. Gerk and their defense. They played exceptionally well and he pitched well. I thought that our club played as aggressively as they could, we just couldn't get any thing with this left-hander. I am really proud of my kids, not only in this tournament but also this entire year."

(On his retirement after this game) - "When you are coaching and you decide that you are at the end of your career, you are really happy to end it at a regional tournament. I was particularly happy to see our kids play well and not back down in any of these ball games. It has been a great career, and this was a great way to end. I am appreciative of all of the press, the support mechanism in this tournament, and the NCAA. This was a great way to finish up."

Player Dave Mullin
(On the team's elimination from the regional) - "We felt coming in that we could be competitive and we were. We were competitive in both ball games. We gave a great effort and there is no sense of embarrassment. We weren't dominated, we were right there in both ball games."

Player Reid Gorecki
(On coach Hannah's last game) - "Coach Hannah is one of the best coaches that I have ever played for. I was a freshman this year, and it was an honor to play for him. It has been a tough ride. We weren't expected to be that good this year, but to get to this level is a good effort on the part of this team."

University of Oklahoma Athletics

Golden Eagles Ride Gerk's Arm To Win Over Delaware

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