NORFOLK, VA—The ODU Monarchs erupted for four runs in the first and seventh innings to defeat East Carolina 9-5 before a crowd of 992 at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex Saturday. ODU pounded out 13 hits for the second straight game to help run their record to 22-14 overall and 10-7 in C-USA, while ECU falls to 20-15 overall and 8-6 in Conference USA.
Senior firstbaseman Josiah Burney (Goucester, VA.) had three hits and scored three times, while fellow senior thirdbaseman Jordan Negrini (Kihei, HI.) went four-for-four today with an RBI. Freshman outfielder Nick Walker (Virginia Beach, VA.) and sophomore Connor Myers (Middletown, MD.) also added two hits each on the day.
ODU senior lefthanded starter Ryan Yarbrough (4-4)from Lakeland, FL., pitched six innings, fanning five with one walk and eight hits and two runs to pick up his third win in a row. His earned run average is now 2.96. Senior righthander Dean Ali (Chesapeake, VA. ) came on in the seventh with the bases loaded and no outs and pitched out of the jam with a groundout, strikeout and pop out.
In the first inning, PJ Higgins (Wallingfort, CT.) , Burney and Negrini each knocked in a run to put the Monarchs up 4-0. Connor Myers singled in Burney in the third inning. After ECU scored two in the top of the seventh, the Monarchs added four runs. With the bases loaded sophomore catcher Chris Livers (Virginia Beach, VA.) and shortstop Brian Bashara(Norfolk, VA.) were hit with pitched balls to force in runs, then Walker singled in two more runs for a 9-2 Monarch lead.
ECU was led by Bryce Harman and Dylan brown with three hits each. The series finale will be Sunday at 1:00 at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
ECU 000 000 221=5-11-1
ODU 401 000 40x=9-13-1
ECU-Love, Bolton(1), Kirkpatrick(6), Reynolds(7), White (8) and Lowery
ODU- Yarbrough, Ali (7), Overton(9) and Livers
WP: Yarbrough (4-4) LP: Love (2-3)