LYNCHBURG, Va. - Josh Eldridge had three hits to lead Old Dominion University baseball but Liberty hung on for a 9-7 win Tuesday evening in Lynchburg.
Liberty led 7-6 in the bottom of the eighth and scored a pair of key runs in the eigth to take a 9-7 lead entering the top of the ninth. In the ninth for ODU, Joseph Guaragna worked a one-out single while Nick Walker followed with a single and P.J. Higgins walked to load the bases. Connor Myers lifted a sacrifice fly to score Guaragna to make the score 9-7 but a ground out ended the game.
ODU jumped out to an early lead as Myers and Ostrich singled and they scored on a double by Josh Eldridge. Liberty scored a run in the bottom of the first and took a 4-2 lead in the second on a three-run homer by Ashton Perritt.
The Monarchs retook the lead in the third as Eldridge worked a bases loaded walk to drive in a run and Mike Perez added a two-run single for a 5-4 ODU lead.
Liberty grabbed the lead again for good in the fifth on another home run, this one a three-run shot by Becker Sankey for a 7-5 LU lead.
Zach Rutherford brought ODU to within one with an RBI single in the sixth but that's as close as the Monarchs got.
Eldridge led the way for ODU with a 3-for-3 day and three RBI while Higgins had two hits. Sankey and Alex Close had three hits apiece for the Flames.
ODU returns home on Wednesday to host William and Mary at 6 p.m.