NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University baseball broke open a close game with a five run fifth inning to defeat VMI 15-5 Wednesday evening at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
ODU took both mid-week games from VMI to improve to 11-6, while the Keydets drop to 9-7 on the year.
The Monarchs led 7-5 entering the fifth inning but exploded for five runs in the fifth. Josh Eldridge started the inning with a double while P.J. Higgins followed with a run scoring single to make the score 8-5. Taylor Ostrich followed with a single and Josiah Burney knocked a two-run double to make the score 10-5. Jordan Negrini cleared the bases with his first home run of the year to make the score 12-5.
VMI got on the board in the first as Red Dowdell had an RBI single. ODU tied the score as Higgins notched an RBI ground out to score Higgins, who had signled, stole second and advanced to third on an Eldridge fly out.
VMI scored two more in the second while the Monarchs notched its first five run inning of the day. Ostrich started it off by reaching on an error while Burney walked. After two-straight outs, Tyler Urps singled in a run while Eldridge followed with a two-run single. Higgins followed with another two-run single to give ODU a 6-3 advantage.
The Keydets scored two more in the third but the Monarchs got a run back in the fourth as Connor Myers knocked in a run with a sacfrifice fly.
Turner Bishop came on to pitch for ODU in the fourth, settling things down with three shutout innings to pick up his first career victory.
Burney homered in the seventh inning to make the score 13-5 while Eldridge hit a two-run shot in the eighth for the final 15-5 tally.
Higgins went 4-for-5 with four RBI while Eldridge went 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Burney had a two hit day with three RBI whle Negrini scored three times and had two RBI.
Dowdell, Brandon Angus and Cameron Walter had two hits apiece for VMI.
The Monarchs continue their homestand starting Friday when they host UAB beginning Friday in the first-ever home Conference USA series.