HAMPTON, Va. – Old Dominion baseball led 9-7 through four innings, but VCU used a six-run sixth inning to jump ahead and held on late for a 16-13 final on Tuesday night at War Memorial Stadium.
The Rams (12-24) pulled ahead 16-10 in the top of the eighth inning as Kirkpatrick hit a two-double to center field and scored on a Seth Werchan double back up the middle. The Monarchs (12-22) got the run back in the bottom of the frame. Bryce Jones walked, but was hit by Zach Leite’s single towards first base for the first out of the inning. Leite then moved up to third on a Kainen Jorge double down the left-field line and Evan Holman walked to load the bases. VCU then conceded a run with Leite running home as the Rams took the force out at second.
After Marco Levari struck out the side in the top of the ninth, Brody Connors entered the game as a pinch hitter and hit a leadoff home run to left field, the first long ball of his career. Maverick Stallings then singled to short, advanced to second on a throwing error on the play, and took third on a balk. He then tagged up on a Tanner Schaedel sacrifice fly to center field to cut the deficit to 16-13. The rally would fall short though as Leite grounded out to second to end the game.
Luke Ridley (0-1) was handed the loss after giving up five runs on three hits and two walks in 0.1 inning of relief. Starter Jayce Park was responsible for seven runs, only two of them earned, on two hits and three walks. He recorded one strikeout in two innings pitched.
Scotty Young had a big day at the plate, batting 2-for-3 with a grand slam. The senior from Mission Viejo, California added two runs, four RBIs, and a walk to his totals. Leite went 3-for-5 with a double, two runs, and one base on balls. Stallings also homered and finished 3-for-5 with three runs, and Efrain Morales ended the night 1-for-2 with three RBIs.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the first, ODU had an opportunity to get out of the inning unscathed as Park induced a pop up right in front of home plate, but Morales dropped the ball and a run came home on the error. VCU’s Sean Swenson then made the miscue even more costly with a grand slam to left center, putting the Rams ahead 5-0.
ODU trimmed the guests’ lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the first. Young drew a one-out young and advanced to third on a Leite double down the left-field line. With two outs, Morales singled through the right side to plate both runners.
VCU countered with another two runs in the second to go up 7-2. Werchan doubled down the first base line and moved up to third on a Casey Kleinman sac bunt. Trent Adelman was hit by a pitch, and he and Werchan pulled off a delayed double steal. Jacob Lee then walked and VCU had another successful double steal before Adelman scored from third on an Adrian Jimenez ground out to short.
Kyle Edwards led off the bottom of the second with a double to center field and then came around on a Tyler Zedalis base hit to left center. A Stallings single up the middle and a walk by T.J. Aiken loaded the bases for Young, and he tied the game at 7-7 with a grand slam to right field. Later in the inning, Jorge reached on a fielder’s choice, advanced on a wild pitch, and then scored from second on a Morales sac fly to right field. That gave ODU the lead, 8-7.
The Monarchs tacked on another run in the fourth. Aiken walked, Young beat out a bunt single towards second base, and the pair got into scoring position on a Leite ground out to first. Aiken then came in on a Jorge ground out to third.
VCU evened the score at 9-9 in the fifth, however. ODU turned a 4-6-3 double play, but Swenson scored on the play for the first run of the inning and Will Henson raced home on a wild pitch. The visitors then retook the lead in the sixth. With one out and the bases loaded, Jiminez drove in a run with a single to right center and Henson cleared the bases with the third grand slam of the evening to give the Rams a 14-9 advantage. Nate Kirkpatrick then made it 15-9 with an RBI double to center field.
Stallings hit a no-doubter down the left-field line to open up the bottom of the sixth. ODU had another opportunity to close the gap in the seventh. After back-to-back singles from Holman and Luke Waters, Zedalis reached on a fielder’s choice when VCU attempted to get the force out at second. The throw pulled the Rams’ second baseman off the bag though and ODU had the bases loaded with one out. The Monarchs couldn’t capitalize however as Stallings and Aiken both struck out.
ODU outhit VCU 15-9, but also left more runners on base, 8-6. The Monarchs combined to hit .375 (15-for-40) in the game, including .391 (9-for-23) with runners on and .214 (3-for-14) with runners in scoring position. The teams also combined to use 13 pitchers.
The three combined grand slams was one shy of tying the NCAA record for grand slams in a game. Fairleigh Dickinson and Saint Peter’s hit two each on April 28, 1984.
The two teams will meet again on Wednesday, May 7 when ODU travels to Richmond for a 6 p.m. game at The Diamond.
ODU will have three games at Harbor Park later this week as the Monarchs host Louisiana for a Sun Belt series. The teams will play at 6 p.m. on Thursday, at 3 p.m. on Friday, and at 1 p.m. on Saturday.