April 26, 2008
Norfolk, Va. - Junior right-hander Dan Hudson struck out 11 in just over seven innings of work and the Monarchs of Old Dominion scored 13 runs on 16 hits to shutout the Huskies of Northeastern 13-0 at Bud Metheny Baseball Complex Saturday afternoon. Nine of the Monarchs 16 hits went for extra bases, including two doubles, three triples and four home runs.
With the game scoreless heading into the bottom of the fifth, ODU shortstop Gerard Hall took it upon himself to get the Monarchs on the board. Hall opened the inning with a single to right and promptly stole second and third base. Northeastern starter Les Williams struck out the next two Monarch batters, but with Williams pitching from the windup and with right-handed batter Jimmy Miles in the box, Hall stole home sliding up under the tag of NU catcher Frank Pesanello.
The Monarchs (20-21, 11-10 CAA) took a 2-0 lead in the sixth on a solo shot by Bryan Cipolla, his fifth of the season.
Williams left the game after allowing just two runs in six innings and the Monarchs quickly took advantage of the Husky bullpen, scoring six in the seventh inning off of Dan Zehr. Three consecutive triples by Miles, Max Most and Anthony Shawler highlighted the frame for ODU and designated hitter David Burns capped things off with a two-run home run to right, giving the Monarchs an 8-0 advantage after seven.
The Huskies (16-19-1, 8-12-1 CAA) then turned to lefty Charly Bashara who was met with the same greeting by the Monarch bats. ODU added five runs on three hits in the eighth behind Edgar Hernandez's two-run blast, an RBI double by Cipolla and Shawler's two-run homer to right.
Cipolla finished the day 2-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBI's, while four other Monarchs drove in two runs apiece.
With the win Hudson evened his record at 4-4 on the year, while Williams picked up the loss for the Huskies, falling to 1-4.
The two teams will close out the weekend series tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. with ODU's Ryan Bergh (4-4) scheduled to face off against Northeastern's Ryan Quigley (1-2).