GREENVILLE, NC--Old Dominion (25-16)defeated East Carolina(24-17) 5-3 in a non-conference contest in Greenville, NC. Monday night. Nick Walker, Josiah Burney, Josh Eldridge and Tyler Urps each had two hits. Joey Benitez picked up the win and Brad Gero his eighth save of the year.ODU has now won four straight games at ECU.
ODU took a 1-0 lead in the second on an RBI single by Josh Eldridge which brought home Josiah Burney. ECU tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Bryce Harman scored from third on a passed ball.
In the ODU fifth, Nick Walker doubled home Tyler Urps for a 2-1 ODU lead. In the sixth inning Josiah Burney opened with a triple and scored on an RBI groundout by Jordan Negrini. PJ Higgins singled home Nick Walker in the seventh and ODU's final run came in the eighth on a Tyler Urps RBI single which plated Josh Eldridge for an ODU 5-1 lead.
ECU scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth when Ian Townsend scored on a wild pitch and pinchitter Luke Lowery singled home Charlie Yorgen. Senior reliever Brad Gero then came in to get a strikeout to end the game.
ODU's six pitchers fanned nine batters. Joey Benitez came on in the second inning and pitched 3.2 innings, allowing no hits, one walk and striking out two for his first win of the season.
The Monarchs return to action this weekend in a three-game series at Middle Tennessee State on Friday night in Murfreesboro, TN..
ODU 010 011 110=5-9-0
ECU 010 000 002=3-8-3
ODU- Tomchick, Benitez(2), Harris(6),Overton(8), Ali(9), Gero(9) and Livers.
ECU- Lucroy, Wolfe(7), White(7), Bolka(8), Gray(8) and Tyler.
WP: Benitez(1-0) LP: Lucroy(1-4), Save:8)