March 13, 2012
NORFOLK, Va. - Catcher Michael Perez (Fairfax Station, Va.) singled to left field with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning to score Josh Wright (Bridgewater, Va.) from second base for the game-winning run in the Old Dominion Baseball Monarchs' 13-12 victory over VMI on Tuesday afternoon at the Bud Metheny Stadium.
The Monarchs, who take the first game of the two-game series with the Keydets, improve to 5-10 on the year, while VMI drops to 6-9.
ODU's Wright finished the game going 3-for-5 at the plate with five RBI's and three runs scored, including the game-winner, while Chris Baker (Chesapeake, Va.) went 2-for-5 with five RBI's and a run. Junior right-hander Brandon Smith (Chesapeake, Va.) picked up the win for the Monarchs pitching 2.2 innings with a trio of strikeouts and allowing just one hit.
For the Keydets, Alan Watts was credited with the loss going 2.1 innings and allowing five hits. Jacob Morely and Michael Donovan both went 4-for-6 from the plate. Morley, who nearly batted for the cycle, collected five RBI's and a three runs, while Donovan had two RBI's and a pair of runs.
After falling behind 5-0 after two and a half innings of play, the Monarchs got onto the scoreboard as Wright collected his third home run of the 2012 campaign with a three run shot to center to cut the deficit to 5-3 heading into the fourth inning of action.
VMI responded with Morley homering to center for two runs and upping their lead to 7-3 in the top of the fourth, but Old Dominion used their turn at bat to collect seven runs and take their first lead of the game. Designated hitter Joey Burney (Gloucester, Va.) had a lead-off solo shot to right field, his second home run of the year, while Baker took the ball over the right field fence for a grand slam late in the inning. For Baker, it was his fourth home run of the season. Also adding to the run total in the bottom of the fourth with was sacrifice fly by Kevin Belgrave (Norfolk, Va.) and Wright pouring in his fourth RBI of the game with single to left.
While the Keydets put two more runs on the board in the top of the fifth, the Monarchs maintained a 10-9 advantage through the top of the eighth when VMI scored three runs on four hits to retake the lead. Morely recorded his second home run of the afternoon, this time to left, for two runs and Rob Dickinson captured a RBI single for a 12-10 lead.
The Monarchs tied the ballgame at the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI single by Wright followed by a Baker single up the middle scoring Drew Coker (Chester, Va.) to tie the game at 12-12 setting up the extra inning victory for the Monarchs.
Tuesday's game was the first of a two-game series with VMI. The two teams return to action tomorrow night in Hampton at War Memorial Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6 p.m.