NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball dropped a second-straight game for the first time this season as the Monarchs fell 6-1 in Friday's Sun Belt series opener versus Marshall.
"We just need to play better overall," said head coach Chris Finwood. "Too many free bases and not making pitches at game time. [Patrick] Copen was very good for them and it was a tough night to hit. Jake Ticer hit two balls that would have certainly been home runs and we had a ball hit a base runner that would have been two more runs. Not our night and we have to give Marshall credit for good approaches at the plate and hitting our mistakes. We will get back to work tomorrow and Sam Armstrong will give us a good start!"
Copen (1-2) held the Monarchs (18-4, 3-1 Sun Belt) to one run on three hits and three walks with one hit batter. The junior right hander recorded 11 strikeouts through eight innings and 130 pitches thrown.
Blake Morgan (2-2) was handed the loss after giving up four runs, two of them earned, on five hits and three walks in a 4.2-inning start. Jacob Gomez was tagged for two unearned runs on four hits and three walks and added three strikeouts in one inning in relief. Vincent Bashara took over from there and held the Herd (11-8, 2-2) off the board for the remaining 3.1 innings of the game. He retired the final 10 Marshall batters and struck out the side in the top of the eighth to match his career high of four strikeouts.
ODU put together three hits on a night where both teams battled 15 mph winds blowing straight in. Alex Bouche went 1-for-3 with one walk, while Luke Waters and Ticer both hit 1-for-4. Kenny Levari drew a pair of walks and scored the lone run for the Monarchs and Chris Dengler collected one RBI.
Marshall got off to a quick start as Kyle Schaefer reached on a fielder's choice and scored from first on an Owen Ayers double down the left-field line. ODU pulled even with a run in the second. Levari earned a base on balls, advanced to second on a Ticer single to right field, and moved up to third on a Tyler Wheeler walk. Copen then plunked Dengler to knot the score at 1-1. ODU could have jumped ahead with two outs and the bases still loaded, but a Waters line drive hit Tyler Wheeler square in the batting helmet to end the inning.
The Herd retook the lead in the top of the third as Edwards walked for the second time in as many at bats, stole second, and came around on a Schaefer base hit to right center. Marshall then tacked on four more runs on three hits and an error in the fifth. Levari knocked down an Edwards grounder towards third, but his throw to first was too far to Hunter Fitz-Gerald's left as Edwards reached on the throwing error.
ODU was able to get a quick two outs with a pair of forces at second, but Gio Ferraro doubled to left center for the 3-1 lead. The Monarchs then brought in Gomez, and he gave up an RBI single to Calin Smith before walking back-to-back hitters to load the bases. A Kebler Peralta single through the right side plated two more to make it a 6-1 Marshall lead.
ODU's best chance to close the gap came in the bottom of the ninth as Bouche and Levari both walked to start the frame. However, Ticer flew out to center field and Thomas Wheeler and Robbie O'Neal both went down swinging to end the game.
The Monarchs will look to even the series tomorrow as the teams return to Bud Metheny Ballpark for a 3 p.m. start to Game Two.