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NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion split a doubleheader on Saturday at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex with Temple to earn the series win in the opening weekend of the college baseball season.
After a thrilling 5-4 comeback win in 10 innings by ODU on Friday afternoon, Temple (1-2) returned the favor in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader by erasing a 3-0 deficit and rallying to win in extra innings, 5-4. In game two, ODU clung to a 1-0 lead for most of the game before tacking on insurance runs late to pull away for a 6-2 win to clinch the series.
Starting pitching for Old Dominion (2-1) was outstanding on Saturday as Ben Tomchick and Brett Harris combined to hurl 10.0 scoreless innings while allowing four hits, four walks and struck out seven.
In game one, ODU struck first in the bottom of the second when Brent Frazier reached on an error as Temple starter Patrick Peterson kicked around the ball while attempting to throw to first. After Ben Verlander was hit by a pitch, Brandon Shelton blasted a triple over the center fielder's head to plate two runs.
The Monarchs plated a third run in the fifth inning when Shelton led off with a double, was sacrificed to third and then scored on a balk by Peterson. Temple responded against the ODU bullpen in the top of the sixth after Tomchick hurled five scoreless innings. After the first batter reached on an error by Joey Burney who eventually scored on an RBI single to center by Tutwiler to make it 4-1.
RBI singles by Shawn Sizemore in the bottom of the seventh and by Shelton in the bottom of the eighth would give the Monarchs insurance runs while Temple plated one addition run in the top of the eighth when Jordan Quieja scored on an RBI groundout by Nikorak off freshman Donald Engler. Greg Tomchick finished out the ninth for the Monarchs in a scoreless frame.
ODU returns to action on Wednesday when they host East Carolina at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex at 3 p.m.