NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion baseball team scored six runs, highlighted by home runs from Andy Garriola and Tommy Bell, in the bottom of the fifth inning to break open the game in an eventual 10-5 win over Ball State at the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex on Saturday afternoon.
"I thought we played well for the second day in a row," head coach Chris Finwood said. "Our hitters had a good tough-minded approach and finally put up a big inning in the fifth. Garriola's home run gave us some breathing room, and Bell's home run broke it open. They have a very good and well-coached team, and I know we will have to play well tomorrow to have a chance to win."
The Monarchs (11-3) led 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Cardinals (6-6) recorded two quick outs before a fielding error extended the frame. ODU took full advantage of the extra opportunities, plating six runs on five hits. Garriola turned on the first pitch he saw for a two-run homer. The redshirt sophomore from Sierra Madre, California entered the weekend second in the nation in runs batted in.
Robbie Petracci followed Garriola's long ball with a single up the middle before scoring on a Brock Gagliardi double. The next batter, Matt Coutney, singled home Gagliardi and chased starting pitcher John Baker from the game.
A new BSU pitcher did little to slow down the Monarchs. Bell laced a ball over the fence in left field to drive home Coutney and make the score 8-1.
The Cardinals got one run back in the top of the sixth inning before the Monarchs tacked on runs in the seventh and eighth. Jared Hancock plated Ryan Teschko with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Carter Trice singled home Thomas Wheeler in the eighth.
Ball State did not go down quietly, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth, but Joey Dechiaro struck out Cade Fitzpatrick to end the game and give ODU the series victory.
BSU struck first with an RBI single from Nick Powell in the top of the second. That lead was short lived as Petracci singled and later scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the frame. The Monarchs went ahead for good in the bottom of the third. Kyle Battle reached on an error to start the inning before later coming home on a Trice single.
Four Monarchs – Trice, Petracci, Gagliardi and Coutney – finished the game with two hits. Trice drove in a pair of runs and scored once. Petracci scored twice.
Nick Pantos started on the mound for ODU and struck out eight batters in 5.1 innings. He walked just one batter and allowed two runs for his first win of the season. Tom Scheffler and Vincent Bashara combined for 1.2 innings of scoreless ball. Dechiaro struck out four across the final two innings.
Baker allowed seven runs, one earned, in 4.2 innings in a losing effort.
The Monarchs go for the series sweep tomorrow at noon.
Six-Run Fifth Carries Baseball to 10-5 Win over Ball State
