NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University baseball defeated Rutgers 12-3 in the second game of a doubleheader to earn a split today at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. Rutgers took game one, 4-2.
Ben Slaton and P.J. Higgins led the way for the Monarchs in game two, as Higgins went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs score, while Slaton slammed a double and triple, and drove in five runs. Freshman catcher Kurt Sinnen garnered the first two hits of his collegiate career and drove in his first career run.
Rutgers got off to a fast start with a pair of runs in the first, but the Monarchs stormed back with five in the third inning.
Joey Burned delivered a bases loaded two-run single while Ben Slaton followed with a two-RBI double to make the score 4-2 Old Dominion. Sinnen capped the inning with an RBI groundout for a 5-2 lead.
ODU blew the game open with three more runs in the fourth. Higgins started a two-out rally with a double down the left field line and moved to third on a wild pitch. Connor Myers and Burney followed with consecutive walks before Slaton ripped a line drive that fell under the glove of the diving Rutgers center fielder and rolled to the wall for the Slaton three-run triple and 8-2 Monarch lead.
Rutgers got a run back in the fifth on a Mike Carter sacrifice fly, but the Monarchs struck with two in the bottom half of the inning. Brian Beard led off the inning while Tyler Urps reached on a walk. After a sacrifice bunt by Nick Walker, Higgins drove a single to left to score Beard and Urps.
The Monarchs capped the scoring in the seventh as Urps scored on a wild pitch, and after reaching base on a single, Josh Eldridge scored from third on a passed ball.
Tommy Alexander notched his first victory of the year, going five innings, giving up four hits and one earned run.
In game one, Rutgers got two runs in the first inning and another in the third for a 3-0 lead. The Monarchs got a pair back in the eighth on a Connor Myers single and Higgins scored on a wild pitch. However, Rutgers got a run in the top of the ninth and ODU was unable to get on the board in the ninth for the 4-2 loss.
The final game of the weekend series is tomorrow, March 2 at 1 p.m.