Feb. 17, 2012
Post-Game Recap:
Photo GalleryNORFOLK, Va. - Freshman Joey Burney and lift the Monarchs to a 5-4 win over Temple in the season-opener on Friday in front of 937 fans at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
Old Dominion (1-0), who trailed most of the game, rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the eighth inning when Brent Frazier singled home Chris Baker and Josh Wright.
After a scoreless ninth frame, Burney belted a leadoff double to right field in the bottom of the 10th. A groundout by Baker would move Burney to third and then Perez, who came on as a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth, picked up his first career hit when he slapped a ball through the left side to give the Monarchs the win.
Temple (0-1) wasted little time scoring in the contest as they took advantage of a single, a walk, two sacrifice bunts and an ODU error to plate two in the top of the first inning off Monarch start Phil McCarthy. The Owls would tack on another run in the top of the second when Jordan Queja singled home David Hall.
After both teams settled down, ODU managed to get on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Baker doubled home Shawn Sizemore. Josh Tutwiler then brought in Baker to cut the Owls lead down to 3-2 and chased Temple starter Matt Hockenberry from the game after he went 5.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with a pair of walks and strikeouts.
McCarthy went 5.0 innings and allowed three runs on six hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in a no-decision. Temple would add a run off the ODU bullpen in the top of the seventh. After allowing a single, reliever Ben Verlander gave way to Dean Ali. After a strikeout, a Temple single put runners on the corners and a wild pitch by Ali allowed Steve Nikorak to score.
Ali then settled down and went 2.2 innings allowing a hit, a walk and struck out five. Brandon Smith (1-0) struck out three for the Monarchs in the top of the 10th inning and picked up the win in relief. Brian Susteric (0-1), who came on in the bottom of the 10th for Temple, took the loss.
The two teams will now meet on Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. Sunday's game was moved due to inclement weather slated to be in the Norfolk area.