RUSTON, La. – The No. 20 nationally ranked Old Dominion baseball team took down No. 14 Louisiana Tech by a 10-8 score in a nonconference contest on Thursday night at J.C. Love Field. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the game tied 7-7, the game experienced a 20 minute rain delay. After the suspension, the Monarchs outscored the Bulldogs 3-1 the rest of the way.
ODU (37-14, 22-10 C-USA) overcame 3-0 and 7-3 deficits on Thursday night to snap the Bulldogs three game win streak. All nine of Old Dominion's offensive starters scored a run.
Kenny Levari helped lead the way for Old Dominion going 2-5 from the plate with one home run and four RBI's. Tommy Bell had a team high three hits in his four plate appearances, recording a double, a triple, two RBI's and a run scored.
"This was a heck of a game between two good teams battling it out in a great venue" said ODU head coach Chris Finwood. "I was really proud of our guys for battling back and showing a lot of toughness to get the win. Our pen really pitched well for us. This is a big win and we will have to be ready to go tomorrow again."
LA Tech (36-15, 22-8 C-USA) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first after capitalizing on an ODU throwing error, followed by a wild pitch and capped off by a sac fly.
Kyle Battle drove in his 54th run of the season to plate Bell in the top of the third, to cut ODU's deficit to 3-1.
Bell's fifth triple of the season brought in two Monarchs to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the fourth. The Bulldogs quickly responded in the bottom of the fourth, nabbing four runs on four hits and one error to reclaim the lead, 7-3.
Levari's fifth homer of the season was a three-run bomb to right field, which scored Ryan Teschko and Battle to pull Old Dominion within one, 7-6, in the top of the fifth. Later in the same inning, Brock Gagliardi ripped a single right back up the middle to bring home Carter Trice and tie the ballgame at 7-7.
In the top of the eighth, ODU stormed out of out the gates after a quick rain delay, as Matt Coutney singled to center, followed by a Bell double down the left field line. Thomas Wheeler then hammered a ball through the right side to score Coutney and give the Monarchs their first lead of the game, 8-7. Teschko flied out to the warning track in center to bring Bell home, extending Old Dominion's lead to 9-7. Levari recorded his fourth RBI of the contest after singling to left field, scoring Wheeler and giving ODU a 10-7 lead.
Louisiana Tech manufactured one run on four hits in the bottom of the eighth, narrowing its deficit to two, 10-8, heading to the final frame.
Noah Dean came into close the game for the Monarchs in the ninth, notching his eighth save of the season. Tommy Gertner started on the bump for ODU and allowed three runs (two earned) in 2.2 innings of work. Old Dominion's Jacob Gomez was credited with the win after throwing two hitless innings.
ODU will be right back in action against the Bulldogs tomorrow night at 7 p.m. EST in Ruston on CUSA.TV. Friday night's contest will mark the final regular season game for Old Dominion.
Following tomorrow night's game ODU will remain in Ruston for the C-USA Tournament, which begins on Wednesday, May 26. The Monarchs earned the No. 4 seed and will take on No. 5 seed Florida Atlantic at 10 a.m. EST on ESPN+.
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No. 20 ODU Rallies to Defeat No. 14 Louisiana Tech in Ruston, 10-8
Kenny Levari