MIAMI -- Culver Lamb and Kyle Battle both notched three-hit games, but Old Dominion fell to FIU in the series opener, 5-4, at Infinity Insurance Park in Miami on Friday evening.
Old Dominion (8-12, 1-3 C-USA) carried a 4-2 lead through four innings, but FIU (11-13, 2-2 C-USA) answered in the fifth, as Jose Garcia's two-out, two-RBI double that hugged the left field line tied the game. An error by Matt Schwarz in center field then allowed the Panthers to score the go-ahead run.
Schwarz, Lamb and Battle combined for eight of ODU's nine hits on the night. Lamb went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI and Battle went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and three stolen bases. Schwarz finished the night 2-for-5 with a run scored.
Brett Smith received the loss on the mound. Smith went 4.2 innings and allowed five runs, three of which were unearned, while striking out five and walking none.
Connor Muly, Isaiah Nelson and Erik Stock then combined to throw 3.1 innings of shutout relief. Overall, the ODU pitching staff did not walk a batter and struck out seven.
Logan Allen went eight innings for FIU and earned the win.
The series resumes tomorrow at 6 p.m. ODU's Morgan Maguire will get the start against Nick MacDonald.
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