ODU Baseball Falls to LA Tech, 7-2, in Conference USA Baseball Tournament

By Harry Minium

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The day after Old Dominion pounded out 14 hits and five home runs in just seven innings, Louisiana Tech pitcher Ryan Jennings nearly silenced ODU's bats on Thursday.

Jennings, a junior from New Braunfels, Texas, threw a no-hitter against one of the nation's most potent offenses for 6 1/3 innings, and the Bulldog bullpen finished off a 7-2 victory that sent ODU to Thursday's loser's bracket.

The Monarchs meet Charlotte Thursday at 2:30 (ESPN +) in what could be a must-win game if ODU is to return to the NCAA Tournament.

ODU (39-15) blew out Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, 18-7, to win its eighth in a row. But the Monarchs felt like they needed may need to win two games in the C-USA tournament to assure themselves of an NCAA bid.

ODU won the C-USA title last season, beating LA Tech in the championship game, and advanced to the NCAA Regional finals. 

Charlotte will be a tough team to beat. The 49ers lost to LA Tech, 4-0, on Wednesday, but then blew out Middle Tennessee, 22-0, in a second-round game Thursday afternoon.

It will be a matchup of two potent offenses. Charlotte (35-21) led Conference USA with 463 runs scored and ODU was second with 442. ODU, meanwhile, led the league with a .550 slugging percentage while Charlotte was second at .493.

Charlotte took two of three games from ODU in Norfolk in late March, winning 11-4 and 12-4 before dropping a 13-12 loss in 10 innings.

Sam Armstrong (3-2, 5.14 ERA) will pitch for ODU and the good news for the Monarchs is that their three top relief pitchers are available. Jacob Gomez and Noah Dean didn't throw Wednesday or Thursday and Jason Hartline only threw against four batters against Middle Tennessee.

"They're going to have all their guys too," ODU coach Chris Finwood said of the 49ers, "because they didn't have to use anybody today.

"Everybody will be loaded up tomorrow and it will be an absolute dogfight. We're going to have to brush this off and get ready to play.

"We're only guaranteed one more game. You've got to earn the rest of them."

Finwood said he feels like his team should make the NCAA Tournament but added: "I hate leaving it up to that committee. In 2017, we were in a similar boat, and we finished second and were the first team out.

"They always want to find excuses to put mid-major teams like Old Dominion out of the tournament instead of in. We just don't want to give them any excuses. I really think if we get 40 wins, it will really be hard for them to leave us out.

"If we're at 39, it will be a conversation.

"So it's a big game." 

Nick Pantos, a senior right hander from Rockville, Maryland, started for ODU and largely pitched well, getting eight of the last 10 players he faced. He left in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and two men on base and LA Tech holding a 4-0 lead.

But Wade Elliott, Taylor Young and Philip Matulia all singled in runs off relief pitchers to make it 7-0.

ODU broke up the no-hitter in the top of the seventh, as Matt Coutney and Brock Gagliardi both singled, and were moved over to second and third on a ground out from Andy Garriola.

Jennings, whose fastball was still in the low 90s, struck out Kenny Levari swinging to end the threat.

"That's the best performance by a starting pitcher against us this season," Finwood said. "He mixed his pitches well and got us to chase a lot of pitches. They were very opportunistic and took advantage of everything we gave them.

"Jennings and Crigger are all-conference for a reason. Sometimes, it's just the other guy's day. You have to tip your hat to them."

The Bulldogs scored three runs in the third inning on just two hits largely because ODU allowed too many base runners. Two Bulldogs were hit by pitches and another walked.

With the bases loaded, Logan McLeod hit a sacrifice fly to center to score a run. Young then singled to center field to score two more.

The Bulldogs scored again in the third on a ground rule double by Jorge Corona that fell just outside the reach of Garriola, who appeared to lose the ball briefly in the sun.

Jennings was relieved in the eighth by Kyle Crigger. In the ninth he allowed a two-out single to Gagliardi and Garriola followed with a two-run homer, but that was all for the Monarchs.

If ODU wins Friday, the Monarchs would have to beat Louisiana Tech twice on Saturday to advance to Sunday's championship game. 

Finwood said Armstrong has throw well for ODU the second half of the season,.

"I've been very happy about how he's been throwing," Finwood said. "He'll go out there and give us a good start, and we've got Gomez, Hartline and Dean ready. We'll get them in there when we need them.

"Both offenses when they get going can be very explosive. You've just got to make pitches. We're not going to have very long strings on guys because you can't afford to get behind by very much.

"It's two good ballcubs and two veteran ballclubs. We know each other well."