NORFOLK, Va. - Nick Pantos pitched five shutout innings, Matt Coutney and Robbie Petracci both hit their first career home runs, while the Old Dominion (5-1, 0-0 C-USA) baseball team earned a 11-2 win over Holy Cross (1-5, 0-0 Patriot League) on Sunday afternoon at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.
The Monarchs grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first inning after pushing across three runs off three hits, highlighted by a Matt Burch single and a Kyle Battle double. The Crusader club produced one hit in the second inning but left two on base. The Monarch bats started heating back up in the fourth when Coutney and Petracci both knocked in a pair of runs. In the sixth, Canadian first baseman Coutney delivered a two-run homer, which put the Monarchs up 7-0.
In its most productive inning, the ODU club compiled four runs on just two hits. Freshman Petracci pulverized his first career home run, capping the Monarchs wild seventh inning. Holy Cross answered in the eighth, singling to center field and allowing two runs to be scored for the Crusaders, which concluded scoring on the afternoon.
"Offensively that was the best day of the year so far. Guys like Matt Coutney, Austin LaFollette, Brock Gagliardi that have gotten off to a slow start really swung the bat really well for us," explained head coach Chris Finwood. "I haven't been in many games where we've been through a whole game and we didn't strike out. Not once. That's impressive and the guys were fighting hard in there, getting balls in play. We finally had some big hits with runners in scoring position."
Overall, Pantos collected his second win of the season, striking out nine Crusaders. Also pitching for the Monarchs was Geo Rivera, who dealed two solid innings with five strikeouts and did not allow a hit. Ari Silverstein, Joey DeChiaro and Noah Dean also made appearances on the mound on Sunday afternoon.
"Nick battled for us. He didn't have his best stuff by any means but he still found a way to give us five innings and struck out nine and no runs with two hits. I thought Geo Rivera came in and threw the ball very well for us, the best he's been."
Gagliardi went 3-for-5, which led the Monarchs offensively.
Up Next
ODU has its first road game and midweek game of the season on Wednesday as it heads to VCU to take on the Rams at 3 PM.
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Baseball Cruises to 11-2 Win over Holy Cross
Both Robbie Petracci (L) and Matt Coutney (R) picked up their first home runs as Monarchs