MIAMI – The bats of the Old Dominion baseball team stayed hot on Sunday afternoon, matching the program single-season record with seven home runs in an 18-5 seven-inning run-rule win at FIU. Carter Trice set personal bests with three homers and eight runs batted in, and Andy Garriola hit the 37th long ball of his career to move into a three-way tie for first on the career home run list at ODU.
A senior from Sierra Madre, California, Garriola joins Tony Gsell (37) and Josh Wright (37) atop the career home run leaderboard.
The Monarchs (20-6, 5-4 C-USA) hit seven home runs in a game for the fourth time in program history. ODU also left the yard seven times in a 23-7 win at Middle Tennessee on March 18. Old Dominion now has 58 home runs this year and are well ahead of the pace set by the 2021 team that set the single-season school record with 105 home runs.
ODU led all the way. Matt Coutney singled home Kenny Levari with two outs in the top of the first, and Monarch starter Sam Armstrong worked around a one-out walk in the bottom half of the inning. The Monarchs added two more singles in the second but could not push across a run, and Armstrong faced the minimum in the home half of the second as Jared Hancock threw out Jorge Ramirez on a stolen base attempt.
The Monarchs started gaining speed in the third. Levari led off the frame with a single, and Trice followed with the first of his three home runs. Armstrong once again faced the minimum in the bottom of the third to keep the score 3-0.
After going down quietly in the fourth, the Monarchs added two more in the fifth as Trice and Garriola hit back-to-back solo shots. Armstrong struck out two in the home half of the fifth, leaving a runner at first.
Up 5-0, ODU scored six in the sixth and seven in the seventh to end the game early. Kyle Edwards drew a leadoff walk in the sixth and stole second base before coming home on a Tommy Bell single. Levari then walked to put runners on first and second, and Trice doubled to center to score Bell. The Panthers (10-17, 3-6) intentionally walked Garriola to bring up Coutney with the bases loaded, and Coutney made FIU pay with a grand slam to make the score 11-0.
Coutney went 3-for-4 on Sunday with two runs scored and five driven in. With nine home runs this season, the senior from Edmonton, Alberta is one off his career-best mark of 10 set last year.
FIU finally got to Armstrong in the bottom of the sixth. The sophomore right-hander issued back-to-back walks to start the inning, setting up a three-run home run from Alec Sanchez. Blake Morgan then came on in relief of Armstrong and struck out the first batter he faced. Ramirez then laced a one-out double down the line in left and scored on a Noel Perez single.
ODU hit three more home runs in the top of the seventh to invoke the run rule. Edwards led off with his first collegiate homer. The Monarchs then loaded the bases on a Hancock walk, a Bell single and a hit-by-pitch from Levari. Trice capped off a battle with FIU pitcher Zac Lampton with a full-count grand slam. Thomas Wheeler finished off the slugfest with a two-run home run.
Armstrong (2-0) picked up the win after allowing three runs on five hits in five innings while striking out four and issuing four walks. Morgan finished off the Panthers and surrendered a pair of runs on three hits.
Trice was 4-for-4 on his career day, leading all players in hits. Bell, Levari, Garriola and Wheeler all added two hits apiece.
Ryan Cabarcas (2-3) took the loss for FIU, giving up five runs on 10 hits in 4.1 innings.
The Monarchs make the return trip to East Carolina for a 6:30 p.m. game on Tuesday before hosting UTSA in a three-game conference series April 8-10.
Baseball Hits Seven Homers in 18-5 Run-Rule Win at FIU
