STATESBORO, Ga. – Old Dominion baseball had the tying run at first base with two outs in the ninth, but the Monarchs could not complete the rally as they fell 5-4 on Saturday afternoon at Georgia Southern.
The Monarchs (11-21, 6-8 Sun Belt) led 3-1 midway through the sixth, but the Eagles (21-14, 7-7) manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning and plated another three runs in the seventh.
ODU brought in reliever Hunter Baynes to face the Eagles in the sixth. After giving up a leadoff single to Jack Myers, he retired the next two batters with a ground out and a strikeout swinging. The hosts cut the Monarch lead to 3-2 though as Myers scored from second on a JP Herrholz base hit to right field.
Georgia Southern pulled ahead, 5-3 with three runs on two hits and an error in the seventh. A bunt single, a walk and an error on a sacrifice bunt attempt loaded the bases with no outs. Kellen Davis then walked in a run to knot the score at 3-3. The redshirt junior struck out the next batter, but a Jonathan Jaime single to left center brought in two runs for the Eagles.
With two outs in the ninth, Kainen Jorge singled through the left side and then stole second base. Zach Leite drove him in with a base knock to right field, but Efrain Morales skied a 1-0 pitch to center for the final out.
Davis (0-2) received the loss after giving up two runs, one of them earned, on one hit and two walks. Dylan Brown held the Eagles to just one run in the no decision. He scattered four hits, issued three walks, and struck out six in a five-inning start.
Kyle Edwards was the only Monarch to turn in a multi-hit effort, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, a run, and an RBI. Maverick Stallings went 1-for-1 while Tahraun Hammond, Jorge and Leite and hit 1-for-4.
The Eagles got out to a 1-0 lead in their first turn at the plate. After back-to-back singles by Josh Tate and Nico Senese to start the frame, Sean White hit a one-out single through the left side to plate Georgia Southern’s first run of the game. Brown limited the damage though with a ground out to second and a fly out to left.
The Monarchs answered right back in the top of the second. Morales drew a leadoff walk, moved up to second on a failed pickoff attempt, and reached third as GS shortstop Luke Odden knocked down a Luke Waters ground ball, but his throw to third wasn’t in time to get Morales. With one out, Tyler Zedalis brought home Morales with a sacrifice fly to center field. Waters then took second base on a wild pitch and gave ODU its first lead of the game, 2-1 as he scored on an Edwards double to the gap in left.
ODU threatened again in the third inning as Jorge walked, advanced to second on a ground out, and took third as Waters reached on a fielding error. Waters then stole second, but the Monarchs couldn’t convert as Tanner Schaedel grounded out to second.
The ODU lead grew to 3-1 in the fourth. Singles by Edwards and Hammond and a walk by TJ Aiken loaded the bases with one out. Jorge would go down swinging, but a wild pitch allowed Edwards to race home. Leite then walked to reload the bases, but Morales flew out to right to end the inning.
Meanwhile on defense, Brown continued to frustrate the GS bats. ODU turned a 4-6-3 double play in the third, and the lefty from Lansdale, Pennsylvania recorded a pair of strikeouts in both the fifth and sixth innings.
With two outs in the sixth, Aiken reached on an error by the GS second baseman. GS reliever Phillips attempted to pick off Aiken at first, but his throw was wide and went down the line in foul territory. Aiken raced to third and tried to make it home on the play, but the throw to the plate was in time.
The loss sets up a 1 p.m. rubber match between the two teams on Sunday.