NORFOLK, Va. -- The Monarchs picked up their fourth straight Conference USA victory after handing the UTSA Roadrunners a 5-2 loss in game one of the weekend series on Friday night at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. With the win, ODU moved to 24-10 overall and 7-6 in C-USA, while UTSA fell to 12-21 on the season and 3-10 in league action.
Nick Lustrino (2-3), Connor Myers (2-4) and Zach Rutherford (2-3) were the only Monarchs to register multuple hits, while Myers and Rutherford added a RBI to their stat line. Justin Hayes and Nick Walker both went 1-for-3 on the night with two runs scored. Nick Hartman started the game and pitched a solid 3.1 innings with five strikeouts. Sam Sinnen earned the win with just one walk and four strikeouts in his 3.2 innings pitched. Morgan Maguire earned his second save of the season, pitching the final 1.2 innings and allowing just one hit with four strikeouts.
The Roadrunners lit up the scoreboard in the first inning after C.J. Pickering struckout swinging, but reached first base on a passed ball that sent Skyler Valentine home. ODU responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning, as Myers pick up his 22nd RBI of the season with a shot to left field to score Walker from second base.
ODU would get two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 3-1 lead over UTSA. After a leadoff single up the middle by Hayes and a single through the left side by Walker, Rutherford reached on a throwing error by the pitcher that was able to score Hayes. The play didn't end there, as Walker scored on an error by the right fielder. In the midst of the scoring, Rutherford advanced all the way to third, but was tagged out at home trying to score on a Myers fly out to left field on the ensuing play.
The Monarchs took a 4-1 lead over the Roadrunners in the seventh inning after the speedy Hayes stole second for the seventh time this season and scored off a Rutherford single through the left side. UTSA cut the ODU lead in half in the top of the eighth, as Ryan Stacy led the inning off with a triple to center field and then scored after Valentine grounded out to Jason McMurray at second. Maguire came in to pitch for Jake Josephs after he walked his next batter and ended the Roadrunner's threat by fanning the final two batters.
ODU reached the final 5-2 margin after Myers scored from third base off a Chris Livers ground out in the bottom of the eighth. Maguire closed the game with two strikeouts in the top of the ninth inning to secure the Monarchs' fourth consecutive C-USA win.
Four different UTSA playes registered one hit, with Valentine leading the way with a 1-for-4 showing with one run and one RBI. Aaron Burns was hit with the loss for the Roadrunners, after pitching 7.0 innings and allowing nine hits and five runs (3 earned). He faced 32 batters and walked one, while fanning five.
UTSA | 100 000 010 - 2 5 2
ODU | 100 020 11X - 5 9 0
UTSA | Aaron Burns, Derek Craft (8)
ODU | Nick Hartman, Sam Sinnen (4), Jake Josephs (8), Morgan Maguire (8)
Win | Sam Sinnen (3-1)
Loss | Aaron Burns (3-4)
Save | Morgan Maguire (2)
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