WILMINGTON, NC - Billy Biggs pitched four innings of scoreless balland West Virginiapushed across two runs in the bottom of the eighth to defeat Old Dominion,7-5 in the openinggame of the Hughes Brothers Baseball Challenge at UNCW's Brooks Field. ODUdrops to 0-7,whilethe Mountaineers are now 1-3.
Biggs (1-0) picked up the win, giving up just one hit over the finalfour innings, walking one andstriking out six. Monarch reliever Kevin Evans (Shamong, NJ.) took theloss, giving up the decisiveruns in the eighth after relieving starter Shawn Weaver (Loganton, Pa.).Weaver pitched the firstseven innings and allowed five runs on sieven hits and fanned nine batters.
With the score tied at five all, WVU scored two runs in the ninth,taking advantage of an ODUbases loaded throwing error by first baseman Mark Michael (Gobbstown,NJ.), scoring both Dwayne Smithand Kurtis Clinton.
Old Dominion jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second thanks to fourconsecutive singles, withdesignated hitter David Vilardi (Fishkill, NY.) knocking in two of thoseruns. Sophomore Ryan Dunn(Bristol, Va.) also knocked in a run. In the fifth freshman Mark Michaelslammed his second homerof the season with fellow freshman Allen Strick (Glen Burnie, Md.) aboard.
The Mountainers scored five runs in the bottom of the second with thehelp of a three-run homerby Chris Schmidt.
ODU faces Evansville Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the UNCW-HughesBrothers Challenge.
ODU 030 200 000 - 5 8 3WVU 050 000 02x - 7 11 0
ODU Battery: Shawn Weaver, Kevin Evans (8) and John Oehler
WVU battery: Shane Rhodes, Billy Biggs (6) and Josh Cisneros
WP: Biggs (1-0) LP: Evans (0-1)
HR: ODU-Micheal (2) WVU: Schmidt (1)