ATLANTA – A three-run home run by Maverick Stallings in the top of the sixth inning propelled Old Dominion Baseball to a 6-4 series-opening win at Georgia State on Thursday evening at the GSU Baseball Complex.
Trailing 3-2, Steven Meier drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on an Evan Holman single back to the pitcher. Meier was then called out on the field trying to steal third base, but the Monarchs (28-23, 14-14 Sun Belt) challenged the ruling and the call was overturned upon further review. Stallings then connected on a 3-2 pitch, belting it over the wall in left for his third home run in the last two games.
The Panthers (24-30, 12-16) got a run back with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to trim the ODU lead to 5-4. Later in the eighth, Holman led off with a double down the left-field line, moved up to third on a wild pitch, and came around as TJ Aiken grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. Vincent Bashara, who entered the game in the seventh inning, retired nine in a row to help secure the victory.
ODU took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning as Aiken led off with a double to left and later scored on a Kenny Levari base hit through the right side of the GSU defense. Maximus Martin evened the score with a solo home run to left in the bottom of the first, and Brennan Hudson put the hosts up 2-1 as he homered in the bottom of the second. The Monarchs tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth as Holman scored from second on an Aiken single to right center. Martin then hit a one-out double in the fifth and came home on a Will Mize single to left as the Panthers regained control, 3-2.
The win went to Kellen Davis, who improved to 5-0 after allowing one hit with one strikeout through 0.2 scoreless frames in relief. Starter Jacob Gomez allowed three runs on five hits and one walk while recording three strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work. Bashara picked the save, his first of the season. He struck out five in three scoreless frames.
Holman finished 2-for-2 with a double, two runs and two walks. Aiken turned in a 2-for-4 performance as he doubled, walked once, scored a run and drove in another. Stallings went 1-for-4 and hit his ninth home run of the season.
Friday’s game, originally scheduled for 6 p.m., has been moved up to a noon start due to expected thunderstorms in the area later in the day.