BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Matt Coutney continued his red-hot streak at the dish with a pair of home runs in the Old Dominion baseball team's 13-2 win at UAB on Friday. The senior first baseman now has seven home runs in his last eight games.
Coutney got the scoring going for the Monarchs (24-8, 7-6 C-USA) in the second with a one-out solo shot. After an Andy Garriola fly out, Robbie Petracci left the yard to make it 2-0 going into the bottom of the second.
ODU starter Blake Morgan picked up where he left off last Friday, retiring the first seven batters he faced. The reigning Conference USA Pitcher of the Week worked around one single each in the third and fourth innings.
Old Dominion was gifted second life in the top of the fifth inning and took full advantage, plating three unearned runs to go up 5-0. After getting two quick outs, UAB (21-12, 7-6) starter Jackson Reynolds struck out Thomas Wheeler swinging on a breaking ball in the dirt. The pitch bounced away from catcher Henry Hunter, who then fumbled with the ball while trying to throw Wheeler out at first.
After reaching on the error, Wheeler stole second and moved up to third when Hunter's throw sailed into the outfield. Now with a runner 90 feet from home but still two outs, Jackson issued three consecutive walks to Kyle Edwards, Tommy Bell and Kenny Levari, the last forcing home Wheeler. Carter Trice then singled into center field to bring home Edwards and Bell.
Morgan faced the minimum in the fifth as the Monarchs turned a double play to end the inning. That play ended the day for Morgan (3-0), who earned the win after throwing five shutout innings on just two hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
Brett Smith entered for Morgan in the sixth and allowed a two-out, two-run home run, but the bats got the two runs back plus one more in the top of the seventh. Wheeler was again the catalyst for the inning, drawing a leadoff walk and stealing second. Edwards followed with a bunt single and another steal of second base. Bell singled to his counterpart at short to drive in Wheeler, and Levari hit a sacrifice fly to score Edwards. Garriola capped off the frame with a run-scoring single.
UAB put runners on second and third with two outs in the seventh, but the Monarchs turned to Jason Hartline to shut the door. He struck out Darryl Buggs to end the danger and held the Blazers in check for the remainder of the game.
ODU plated three more in the eighth off a Wheeler double and sacrifice flies by Edwards and Bell. Coutney then provided a bookend to the action with a two-run shot in the top of the ninth.
Coutney and Petracci each had two hits to pace the Monarchs. Coutney had three RBIs, and the top three hitters in the ODU lineup – Bell, Levari and Trice, each had two. Wheeler notched one hit, stole two bases and scored three times.
Hartline allowed just one hit over the final 2.1 innings while striking out three.
The Monarchs and Blazers close out the series with a doubleheader on Friday. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.
Coutney Homers Twice as Baseball Takes Opener from UAB, 13-2
