ATLANTA – An Efrain Morales double down the right-field line evened the score at 2-2 in the top of the eighth, but Georgia Tech answered in the bottom of the inning as Old Dominion baseball dropped its 2025 season opener, 3-2 on Friday night.
“It was a good ball game. We pitched it well and played good defense. Hit a bunch of balls hard, but left a few on third base with less than two outs. Those are the runs you have to get in against good teams to win,” said ODU Head Coach Chris Finwood.
In what started off as a pitchers’ duel between ODU’s Ben Moore and Georgia Tech’s Tate McKee, the game was scoreless through four innings before the Monarchs (0-1) finally broke through in the fifth. Kainen Jorge, a transfer from the College of Central Florida, drew a one-out walk, stole second, and took third on a throwing error by the Tech catcher. After Tanner Schaedel also walked, Evan Holman brought in Jorge with a base hit to left field.
The Yellow Jackets (1-0) pulled even in the home half of the sixth on a Kent Schmidt solo home run to right, then jumped ahead 2-1 in the seventh as Alex Hernandez doubled to the gap in left, reached third on a sacrifice bunt, and then scored on a squeeze bunt.
ODU had an opportunity to do some real damage in the eighth as Holman started things off with a single to left. Ryan Thomas then entered the game as a pinch runner and Scotty Young, who came in to pinch hit for TJ Aiken, followed with a base hit down the left-field line. Thomas crossed the plate on the Morales double, and the Monarchs had runners in scoring position with no outs.
Tech brought in right hander Jaylen Paden, and the reliever began his appearance by striking out Kyle Edwards. Young was tagged out in a run down after Luke Waters sent a ground ball towards third, and Tyler Zedalis went down swinging as the Yellow Jackets escaped the jam.
Georgia Tech quickly applied pressure in the bottom of the eighth with back-to-back walks and a sacrifice bunt to open the frame. Maverick Stallings then fielded a weak grounder up the middle, but his throw home was to the wrong side of the plate as Drew Burress slid in safely for the decisive run. The Monarchs then went down in order in the ninth to close out the game.
Nick Sulpizio (0-1) took the loss after giving up one run on two walks in one inning in relief. Ben Moore held the Yellow Jackets off the board in a 4.1-inning start, holding the hosts to one hit and two walks while striking out three.
Holman led ODU with a 2-for-2 day at the plate. He drove in one run and was also hit by a pitch. Morales went 2-for-4 with the RBI double, Young batted 1-for-1, and Zedalis contributed a 1-for-4 performance.
The Monarchs outhit the Yellow Jackets 6-5, but combined to hit 6-for-31 (.194) for the game and also left five runners on base.
ODU will look to even the series tomorrow when the teams return for a 2 p.m. first pitch at Russ Chandler Stadium.