NORFOLK, Va. -- The Old Dominion baseball team dropped the rubber match against the UTSA Roadrunners, falling by a 7-2 margin on Sunday afternoon at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex. ODU fell to 24-12 overall and 7-8 in Conference USA, while UTSA moved to 14-21 on the season and 5-10 in the league.
Nick Walker led the way for ODU with a 2-for-4 showing with two runs and two stolen bases. He currently leads the team with 14 stolen bases in 17 attempts on the year. Kurt Sinnen also went 3-for-4, while Connor Myers registered two hits and a game-high two RBIs. Adam Bainbridge suffered the loss after pitching 3.1 innings and allowing four runs on four hits.
The Roadrunners put up two runs in the top of the second inning to take an early lead over the Monarchs for the third time this weekend. With two runners on base and just one out, J.T. Gilmore reached on a fielder's choice off a hit to short that scored Pickering. On the errant throw to first by Zach Rutherford, Bryan Arias scored an unearned run, while Bowles moved from first to third. Skyler Valentine tried to lay down a bunt to score Bowles, but a heads up play from Nick Lustrino got the lead runner out at home. Matt Hilston popped up to Jason McMurray at second to register the third out.
UTSA would score two more runs in the top of the fourth (4-0) on two hits and two more errors by the Monarchs. Brett Smith came in to pitch for Bainbridge with just one out and a runner on second, but the freshman forced and ground out and a fly out to right field to end the UTSA scoring. ODU went three up, three down in the bottom of the fourth, allowing the Roadrunners to tack on another run in the top of the fifth to hold a 5-0 edge over the Monarchs.
Old Dominion finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth off a Myers RBI single to left field. The Monarchs had two runners on base with just one out, but were unable to capitalize as the inning ended with two left on. UTSA scored two more runs, the third time in the game the Roadrunners put up two, to bring its lead to 7-1 heading into the seventh inning. Myers again knocked an RBI single to score Walker and bring the Monarchs within five runs in the bottom of the seventh. The two teams combined for just three hits in the final two innings, as the game ended in favor of UTSA.
ODU is back in action on Tuesday at 6 p.m., as the Monarchs travel to VMI to take on the Keydets for the third time this season. Old Dominion defeated VMI twice, 8-2 and 6-5, in Norfolk earlier in the year. The game will be breadcast live on ESPN3.
UTSA | 020 212 000 - 7 12 0
ODU | 000 010 100 - 2 10 3
UTSA | Chance Kirby, Andre Shewcraft (7)
ODU | Adam Bainbrdige, Brett Smith (4), Thomas Busbice (6), Joey Benitez (7)
Win | Chance Kirby (1-3)
Loss | Adam Bainbridge (2-2)
Save | Andre Shewcraft (2)
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