BOONE, N.C. – After dropping its Sun Belt series opener at App State 7-6 on Friday, Old Dominion baseball bounced back with a 13-1 win on Saturday afternoon at Jim and Bettie Smith Stadium.
Sam Armstrong improved to 7-1 after holding the Mountaineers (18-18, 8-8 Sun Belt) to one run on five hits and four walks. The junior from Wantage, New Jersey recorded four strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Kenny Levari doubled three times, drove in four runs and added one walk in a 3-for-5 day at the plate. Chris Dengler also went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three runs and a stolen base. Luke Waters finished 3-for-6 with a double, two runs, one RBI and a swiped bag. Alex Bouche (1-for-1) hit a three-run home run, scored twice, walked twice and was also hit by a pitch. Lincoln Ransom (1-for-1) drove in a run with one base on balls, Hunter Fitz-Gerald (1-for-4) doubled with two RBIs, and Logan Duffy (1-for-4) scored a run.
"The guys bounced back and played well today," said head coach Chris Finwood. "It was a cold and windy day and a good day to hit. We were able to drive a number of balls, led by Levari and Dengler and Waters. I thought Sam threw the ball well and we played good defense behind him. Got back in the series and saved some pitching for the rubber match. I'm excited to watch our guys tomorrow."
The Monarchs (26-12, 10-7) opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the second inning. Bouche drew a leadoff walk and came around on a Dengler double down the left-field line. Waters followed with a single to center field before ODU executed a delayed double steal for the 2-0 lead. Waters then made it 3-0 as he was waved home on a Levari double to the gap in the right.
ODU added to its lead with another four runs in the third. After Jake Ticer walked and Duffy singled to right field, Bouche brought everyone home with a home run over the wall in left center. Two more doubles from Dengler and Levari pushed the lead to 7-0.
Fitz-Gerald drove in two runs with a two-out double in the fifth inning. With two outs and runners on the corners in the sixth, Waters singled to shortstop for the 10-0 advantage. A Levari double to left center brought in two more runs to grow the Monarch lead to 12-0.
App State broke up the shutout with one run on two hits in the bottom of the sixth. ODU then rounded out the scoring in the ninth as Thomas Wheeler raced home on a Ransom base hit to left field.
ODU and App State will play a 1 p.m. rubber match on Sunday.