NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball could not solve Texas State starting pitcher Levi Wells as the Monarchs dropped their first-ever meeting with the Bobcats 11-1 on Friday night at Bud Metheny Ballpark.
Wells (7-2) held ODU to just two hits and two walks in seven shutout innings. The junior right hander recorded 10 strikeouts to grab the win.
"It was a tough night for us," said head coach Chris Finwood. "Wells was fantastic for them and you can't get down 8-0 to a pitcher like that. We will have to shake this off and bounce back tomorrow. We need to play a lot better to beat these guys!"
ODU had one out and runners on first and second in the bottom of the first as Kenny Levari walked and Camden Grimes singled through the right side. However, TXST retired the next two batters to keep the Monarchs (27-14, 10-9 Sun Belt) off the board.
The Bobcats (28-15, 11-8) put up crooked numbers in the second, third and fourth innings to build a 7-0 lead. ODU turned a double play in the top of the second, but proceeded to hit the next batter. Ryan Leary then put the visitors up 2-0 as he homered to left. In the third, Daylan Pena doubled in a run and came around on a Chase Mora base hit back up the middle for a 4-0 advantage. TXST then plated another three runs on four hits in the fourth.
Ryan Leary doubled down the left field line with one out in the fifth. He moved up to third on a ground out to first and scored on a wild pitch as the Monarchs trailed 8-0. The Bobcats tacked on two more runs in the seventh. Mora reached on a fly ball that went in and out of Thomas Wheeler's glove, and the error allowed him to advance to second. Mora was waved home on a Rashawn Galloway single to right, and Galloway later scored on another wild pitch.
A one-out Mora home run in the ninth pushed the Bobcat lead to 11-0. Down to its final three outs, Levari lined out to second base to start the frame. Grimes singled up the middle and Hunter Fitz-Gerald was hit by a pitch to put two on for Alex Bouche, but he went down swinging. Jay Tarkenton then entered the game as a pinch hitter and slapped the first pitch he saw to left field, driving in Grimes from second to break up the shutout. That was all the Monarchs could produce though as Thomas Wheeler flew out to right field to end the game.
Blake Morgan (3-4) received the loss after giving up seven runs on 11 hits and one walk. He struck out three in a 3.1-inning start. Grimes went 2-for-4 with one run, Tarkenton hit 1-for-1 with the RBI, and Tyler Wheeler finished 1-for-3.
The teams return to The Bud tomorrow for a 3 p.m. start to Game Two in the series.