NORFOLK, VA—The ODU Baseball Monarchs (4-5) swept two games from the Penn Quakers, 5-1 and 5-3 in its home opening series Sunday afternoon at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. Senior catcher Mike Perez had two hits in both games, knocking in a run in game one and two in the second game.
In game one, with the score tied 1-1, ODU scored four runs in the seventh thanks to RBI hits from freshman outfielder Matt Cogen (Franklin, TN.), and junior infielder PJ Higgins (Wallingford, CT.). Perez (Fairfax Station, VA.) put the Monarchs on the board in the second inning when he singled home junior shortstop Jason McMurray (Des Moines, IA).
Monarch pitchers Greg Tomchick (Virginia Beach, VA.), Thomas Busbice (Omaha, NE.) and Adam Bainbridge (Sinking Spring, PA.) scattered five hits and allowed only one unearned run. Busbice picked up the win and Bainbridge the save. PJ Higgins joined Perez with two hits each in the opening contest.
In game two, Mike Perez RBI sacrifice fly plated McMurray to give the Monarchs a 3-2 lead in the third inning, then he doubled home Connor Myers in the seventh.
ODU senior righthander Victor Diaz (Perth Amboy, NJ.) picked up the win in relief and sophomore righthander Sam Sinnen(Virginia Beach, Va.) got the save in the 5-3 Monarch win. Diaz and starter Joey Benitez (Crofton, MD.) both struckout three batters. Perez and Connor Myers each had two hits in the contest for ODU while Jeff McGarry knocked in two runs for Penn.
The schools will play the third and final game of the series Monday at 3 p.m.
GM 1
PENN 000 001 000=1-5-1
ODU 010 00040x =5-8-1
UPENN – Cuff, Silvestri(7), Pedalino(8) and Bossart
ODU Tomchick, BUsbice(6), Bainbridge (8) and Perez
WP: Busbice(1-0) LP: Cuff(0-1) SV: Bainbridge(1)
GM2
PENN 002 000 010=3-11-2
ODU 021 001 10x=5-8-0
UPENN- Glenn, Holtz(6) and Graul
ODU – Benitez, Diaz(5), S.Sinnen(8) and Higgins