WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Tommy Gertner allowed just one hit over seven shutout innings, and the on-fire Matt Coutney hit two more home runs in the Old Dominion baseball team's 5-1 win at William & Mary on Tuesday.
Gertner (3-3) struck out five in the longest outing of his collegiate career and now has allowed just two runs on five hits over 11.2 innings over his last two starts, collecting the win both times.
The Tribe's Matt Thomas laced a one-out single into left in the bottom of the first inning, but Gertner retired the next seven batters he faced. The left-hander ran into a jam in the third, putting runners on first and second with two outs before getting out of the inning on a fielder's choice.
Coutney put ODU (26-9) on the board with just one swing in the fourth. His two-run shot drove in Andy Garriola, who led off the inning with a walk, came less than 30 minutes after the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association named him the Dick Howser Trophy National Player of the Week.
With a lead in hand, Gertner went back to dealing and set down the side in order in the fourth. The native of Northbrook, Illinois worked around a walk in the fifth before spinning another clean inning in the sixth.
The Monarchs added two insurances runs in the seventh on the strength of three infield hits and an error from William & Mary (17-16). Josh Trujillo led off the inning with a single to shortstop. The next batter, Andrea Dalatri, hit a weak dribbler to the shortstop, who tried to get Trujillo out at second. The speedster from Spanaway, Washington beat the throw at second base, and Tribe first baseman Tyler Solomon dropped a throw from second that would have gotten Dalatri out at first. Kyle Edwards followed with an infield single that barely left the dirt around home plate to load the bases, and Kenny Levari grounded into a double play to score Trujillo. Carter Trice completed the scoring with another single to shortstop to bring in Dalatri.
Gertner walked the leadoff batter in the seventh but followed with three quick outs. In all, Gertner retired 12 of the last 14 hitters he faced.
Coutney hit his 18th homer of the season in the top of the eighth to pull into a three-way tie for second on the single-season charts at ODU. He joined Kyle Battle (2021) and Patrick Nichols (2006) just two homers behind Ron Walker (1997).
Brett Smith came on in relief of Gertner to start the eighth and retired the side on just 15 pitches. Thomas Wheeler then hit a pinch-hit two-out triple in the top of the ninth but was stranded.
William & Mary broke the Monarchs' shutout bid with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. A walk and a double put runners on second and third with one out. Solomon then hit a soft bouncer to Vincent Bashara, who made an easy toss to Brock Gagliardi to get Lucas Carmichael out at the plate. Bashara worked a two-strike count to Nate Goranson before bouncing an offering in the dirt that got away from Gagliardi and allowed Jack Cone to score from third. Bashara then walked Goranson before being lifted in favor of Jason Hartline, who needed just two pitches for his fifth save of the season.
The Monarchs host Florida Atlantic for three games this Friday through Sunday.
Gertner Throws Seven Scoreless Innings in 5-1 win at William & Mary
