NORFOLK, VA—Old Dominion’s junior secondbaseman P.J. Higgins (Wallingford, CT.) knocked in five runs including a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to give the Monarchs (5-5) a 9-8 victory over the University of Pennsylvania Monday evening at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. ODU sweeps the three-game series with the Quakers. The Monarchs have added a game for Tuesday with Bryant University at 3:30 p.m. at the Bud.
Penn took an 8-7 lead into the bottom of the eighth and after one out freshman leftfielder Matt Cogen (Franklin, TN.) singled and Higgins followed with a two-run shot to left to put the Monarchs up for good, 9-8.
Sophomore righthanded reliever Sam Sinnen (Virginia Beach, VA.) pitched two scoreless innings for his first win of the season. Sinnen fanned three batters and when he came on in the eighth, he pitched out of a bases loaded jam with two strikeouts.
Cogen led the Monarchs with three hits, while Higgins, designated hitter Josh Eldridge (Lorton, VA.) , senior catcher Mike Perez (Fairfax Station, VA.) and junior shortstop Nick Lustrino (Spring Lake, NJ.) each had two hits.
Higgins also singled home Lustrino and Perez in the second inning and his RBI sacrifice fly plated Lustrino in the fourth inning.
Austin Bossart and Matt Greskoff each hit homers for the Quakers. Greskoff tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second with a solo shot to rightfield, while Bossart belted a two-run homer in the seventh which put Penn up 8-5.
After the added home game Tuesday against Bryant, ODU travels to last year’s NCAA runner-up Virginia for a Wednesday contest, then to Bowling Green, KY for a three-game C-USA series at WKU.
PENN 010 401 200=8-10-3
ODU 130 100 22x=9-12-0
Penn- Cousins, Gautieri(6), Pedalino(8) and Bossart
ODU- Hartman, Rienerth(4), Bishop (5), Josephs (6), Rutherford (7)S.Sinnen(8) and Perez
WP: Sinnen(1-0) LP: Gautieri (0-1)
HR: ODU- Higgins (1), Penn- Bossart(1), Greskoff(2)