BIRMINGHAM, AL—Senior Josh Eldridge and sophomore Nick Walker each belted two-run homers to lead the Monarchs of Old Dominion (27-27/13-17) to an 11-0 victory over the UAB Blazers (30-24/15-15) at Young Memorial Field. The victory coupled with losses by Marshall and Charlotte puts ODU into next week’s C-USA Championships at Southern Miss. In Hattiesburg, MS. Pairings and seeds will be announced later.
Walker put ODU up 2-0 in the second with a two-run homer platting PJ Higgins with him. Josh Eldridge belted a two-run homer with Taylor Ostrich aboard in the fourth to give the Monarchs a 6-0 lead. Both Eldridge and Walker lead the team with six homers this season. Eldridge finished the day with four hits in five at-bats along with three RBI.
Nick Walker along with Zach Rutherford and Jason McMurray had two hits each for ODU. All but one Monarch got a hit today in the 14-hit attack.
ODU used three pitchers, starting with Jake Josephs for four innings, Nate Matheson went two innings and Nick Hartman pitched the seventh. The trio held UAB to just four hits.
Because of the League’s 10-run rule on get-a-way day, the contest was called after seven innings.
ODU 022 221 2=11-14-1
UAB 000 000 0=0-4-3
ODU Josephs, Matheson(5), Hartman(7) and Perez
UAB: Lieske, Ruggles(5), Lamar(6) and Tresgallo
HR: ODU- Eldridge(6), Walker (6)
WP: Matheson(2-3) LP: Lieske(3-6)