MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – Old Dominion University baseball fell behind early and rallied late but came up short, falling 13-9 to Rutgers in the series finale in Myrtle Beach.
ODU trailed 9-2 entering the seventh inning and started a comeback as Mike Perez singled and Jason McMurray doubled to lead off the inning. Following a strikeout, Nick Lustrino hit an RBI ground out. P.J. Higgins came through with an RBI single and Josh Eldridge drilled a double to score Higgins to make the score 9-5.
The Monarchs loaded the bases to open the eighth with a Taylor Ostrich single, Matt Cogen reached on an error and a Nick Walker base on balls. McMurray knocked a single to right center field to score Ostrich and Cogen while Connor Myers reached on a bunt single to again load the bases. Lustrino hit into an RBI fielder’s choice to close the gap to 9-8 but Rutgers’ Max Herrmann struck out the final two batters to end the threat.
The Scarlet Knights scored four runs in the top of the ninth to pull away for a 13-8 lead. ODU made things interesting in the ninth as Walker worked a leadoff walk and Ostrich followed with a single. After a fly out, Perez singled and McMurray added an RBI ground out to make the score 13-9 but the Monarchs would not get any closer.
Rutgers started things off with four runs in the first inning, highlighted by a two-run Christian Campbell double. The Scarlet Knights added a run in the third and two in the fourth for a 7-0 lead.
ODU got on the board in the fourth with a Cogen RBI ground out and in the fifth Higgins delivered an RBI single to make the score 7-2.
Higgins went 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBI while Myers added three hits.
Vinny Zarillo had three hits to lead Rutgers while Chris Suseck and Tom Marcinczyk had three RBI apiece.