NORFOLK, VA—Zach Rutherford (Chesapeake, VA.) and Taylor Ostrich (Carroll, IA.) had three hits each and reliever Nick Hartman (Katy, TX.) pitched out of a bases loaded jam as Old Dominion (26-24/12-15) defeated LA Tech, 6-5 Sunday afternoon at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. ODU has now won four in a row and six of their last seven games, and are currently in seventh place.
The Monarchs scored a run in each of the first three innings. Senior left fielder Josh Eldridge (Lorton, VA.) brought home PJ Higgins (Wallingford, CT.) with a sacrifice fly in the first, then Jason McMurray (Des Moines, IA.) singled home Connor Myers (Middletown, MD.) in the second and Eldridge scored on a sacrifice fly by Derek Francis.
In the sixth, ODU scored three runs highlighted by a two-run RBI single by Mike Perez (Fairfax Station, VA.) which was followed by an RBI double by Taylor Ostrich.
The Bulldogs were held scoreless until the seventh when Taylor Nichols and Jacob Derouen had back-to-back doubles for their first run. In the eighth Nichols capped off a four-run inning with a two-run homer to left, his third of the season which cut ODU’s lead to one at 6-5. LA Tech loaded the bases in the ninth, but sophomore reliever Nick Hartman worked his way out of the jam with a strikeout and a pop out for his fifth save of the season.
ODU sophomore left handed starter Adam Bainbridge (Sinking Spring, PA.) pitched seven-plus innings allowing two runs on four hits with just one walk and two strikeouts to improve to 4-2.
ODU returns to action Tuesday night when they play VCU at War Memorial Stadium at 7 p.m. in the annual “Key Dog” Classic, then travel to Birmingham, AL for the final C-USA regular season series at UAB, Thursday-Saturday.
LATECH 000 000 140=5-7-1
ODU 111 00d 00x=6-13-0
LT: Clancy, Bristo(4), Atkins(6) and Diaz
ODU: Bainbridge, Busbice (8), Hartman(8) and Perez
HR: Nichols(3)
WP: Bainbridge( 4-2) LP: Clancy(6-5) Save: Hartman(5)