HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Old Dominion baseball season came to a close, after the Monarchs dropped a 3-1 extra-inning contest to FIU in an elimination game on day two of the 2016 Conference USA Baseball Championship. The Monarchs finished the season with a 32-24 overall record and a 15-15 mark in league play.
Starting pitcher Sam Sinnen pitched a solid seven and a third innings with a season-high seven strikeouts. The Panthers’ first baseman Zach Files was the only player to record a hit off of Sinnen, but the hit happened to be a solo shot to right field in the second inning to give the Panthers the 1-0 edge.
The Monarchs were held scoreless for seven innings with just two hits, but with two outs and a runner on second base, Kurt Sinnen hit a high fly ball to left field that got lost in the sun and dropped to score ODU’s first run and tie the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the eighth. Neither team was able to pull ahead in the ninth, as the game headed into extra innings.
In the top of the 11th inning, the Panthers scored two runs with two outs on a wild pitch and another homer from Files to take the 3-1 lead. The Monarchs looked to be making a rally after ODU loaded the bases with one out on the board in the bottom of the frame. Sinnen got on base first with a single to left center, while Connor Myers followed with a shot through the left side. Jason McMurray then reached on a fielding error by the third baseman, loading the bases for ODU. Kyle Beam then popped up to the second baseman, while Will Morgan struck out swinging to end the game in favor of FIU.
Sinnen led ODU with two hits in five at bats, while three other ODU players registered a hit. Nick Hartman was hit with the loss after allowing the two runs in the top of the 11th. He finished the game with four strikeouts and two walks as well.
Files paced FIU with two home runs, while three Panthers notched a hit. Williams Durruthy earned the win, pitching 4.0 innings with four strikeouts.
FIU| 010 000 000 02 - 3 5 2
ODU| 000 000 010 00 - 1 5 0
FIU| Cody Crouse, Williams Durruthy (8)
ODU| Sam Sinnen, Nick Hartman (8)
Win| Williams Durruthy (3-3)
Loss| Nick Hartman (5-5)
Save| None
ODU Notes
|| Sinnen recorded a season-high seven strikeouts during his 7.1 innings of work, while his career high is eight that was set against FIU on May 2, 2015.
|| The Monarchs exited the C-USA Tournament just like last year, dropping an extra-inning game in the elimination round of the tournament.