By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – So much went right for the Old Dominion baseball team Sunday. The Monarchs played sparkling defense and pounded four home runs, with Matt Coutney hitting two to become ODU's all-time single-season leader.
But Monarch pitchers also walked 12 batters, and Florida Atlantic took advantage to avoid a weekend sweep by holding off the Monarchs, 5-4, at Bud Metheny Ballpark.
ODU (28-10, 10-8 C-USA) won games Friday and Saturday to claim its second series in a row.
Coutney is surely the hottest hitter in the country. In the last 14 games, he has hit 14 home runs, driven in 28 runs, scored 25 more, all while hitting .528.
The Monarchs' next game is a huge one. ODU hosts Virginia Tuesday night at Harbor Park in the annual Commonwealth Classic. The Cavaliers are ranked eighth nationally by Baseball America.
ODU upset U.Va. two weeks ago in Charlottesville, 9-2, to get a measure of revenge against the team that knocked the Monarchs out of an NCAA Regional final last season. The Cavaliers undoubtedly will be looking for some payback on Tuesday.
In spite of the loss, it was a memorable game for the Monarchs. Coutney tied the record for home runs set by Ron Walker in 1997 with his 20th homer in the first inning. He then broke the record with another solo shot in the eighth.
Breaking the record was extra special for Coutney because his father, Frank Coutney, was in the stands. Frank is the retired administrator for Wetaskiwin County, about 30 minutes south of Edmonton, Alberta, in western Canada.
"It's always special when you break a record," Coutney said. "But it's so nice that my dad happened to be here. He hasn't been here very often."
Coach Chris Finwood felt like this was a game the Monarchs let get away, but was happy for his star first baseman.
Left fielder Andy Garriola has already broken the career record for home runs and has 18 this season.
"It's been fun watching both of them," Finwood said. "But Matt's really been on a hot streak.
"He's such a good kid. It was really neat for his dad to be able to be here, for him to break that record with him here. They're a great family and a wonderful young man."
Click here to read a feature story on Matt Coutney
FAU got just one home run, a three-run shot from Dylan Goldstein in the top of the fifth, but it was enough to give the Owls the lead for good. Both baserunners who scored reached base on a walk.
"You're not going to win when you walk 12 guys," Finwood said. "That's been our issue. We're 28-10, and I'll bet that seven of our 10 losses are because we just walked too many guys.
"It's not acceptable at this level. We're just got to be better."
FAU got two runs in the first off of Sam Armstrong, who got off to a shaky start but then settled down. He walked three runners and gave up two hits and two runs, but with the bases loaded, forced Shane Magrann to hit into a double play.
ODU knotted the score 2-2 minutes later as Robbie Petracci and Coutney both homered.
FAU loaded the bases in the third with two outs, but again, Armstrong pitched his way out of trouble. He struck out second baseman Steven Loden, then forced Magrann to ground out to ODU second baseman Kyle Edwards.
Carter Trice, ODU's third long ball threat, led off the top of the third with a solo shot that cleared left field with 20 or so yards to spare. A sophomore from Richmond, Trice has 15 home runs.
ODU stayed in the game thanks only because of some outstanding plays in the field.
Thomas Wheeler made a one-handed grab against the 395-foot sign in center field in the fourth. In the seventh, Edwards made a diving stop on a hard-hit ball, and the Monarchs turned a double play with the bases loaded that saved a run.
Edwards, a 5-foot-10 freshman from Cox High School in Virginia Beach, got off to a slow start this season, but since adjusting to the game, has been a defensive stalwart for ODU.
"I'm so proud of Kyle," Finwood said. "He's been saving runs for us on defense almost every day."
The bases were loaded again in the top of the eighth with no outs, and again, outstanding defense kept the game close.
Third baseman Kenny Levari scooped up a bouncing ground ball and made a difficult off-balance throw that got Loden out at home. Pitcher Brad Dobzanski then gloved a one-hopper and threw Magrann out at home for the second out.
Gabriel Rincones then flied out to center field to end the inning.
FAU then loaded the bases again with one out in the top of the ninth, but Magrann flied out to ODU shortstop Tommy Bell, who fired the ball to third to cut down Nolan Schanuel as he returned to the bag.
However, ODU mustered little offense against closer Robert Wegielnik, who mixed breaking balls with his 94 mile per hour fastball to strike out five Monarchs and limit ODU to two hits, including Coutney's home run.
ODU hosts LA Tech next weekend and then ventures to Southern Miss the following weekend in two critical C-USA series. LA Tech is ranked 42nd and Southern Miss 10th in the RPI, and beating both teams would surely move ODU up the ladder from 75th.
"I told our guys, you've got to win every series if we even want to be in the mix for an at-large possibility," he said. "If not, we've got to find a way to get in the Conference USA Tournament and then win it."
Matt Coutney Sets Single-Season Home Run Record, but ODU Falls to FAU, 5-4
