NORFOLK, Va. – Efrain Morales had his first career four-hit game and Kyle Edwards belted two home runs as Old Dominion defeated Troy 9-5 in the Sun Belt series finale on Sunday at Harbor Park. The win gives ODU Head Coach Chris Finwood his 400th at Old Dominion.
Old Dominion (9-20, 5-7 Sun Belt) broke through against Troy (24-9, 8-4 Sun Belt) in the second inning with line drive singles from Morales and Luke Waters. Scotty Young hit a line drive double down the left field line to score Morales. Tyler Zedalis grounded out to second to score Waters. Edwards followed with a two-run home run to left field, putting the Monarchs up 4-0.
In the top of the third Troy’s Steven Meier doubled the left center and Harrison Bowman singled to left to make it 4-1 ODU. Blake Morgan struck out Brooks Bryan to end the threat.
Edwards got his second home run of the day in the bottom of the fourth, making it 5-1. Tahraun Hammond drew a walk before TJ Aiken hit a chopper through the gap putting runners on the corners. Zach Leite hit a line drive into right to score Hammond, bringing the score to 6-1.
Old Dominion’s Frankie Wright came into the game to relieve Morgan in the top of the sixth. Troy’s Peryn Bland hit a single to right field, while Houston Markham doubled to the opposite field double to score Bland, 7-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, ODU fought back as Kainen Jorge hit a single to score Hammond. Morales’ third hit of the day was a single to left field scoring Leite bringing the score to 9-2.
Meier led off the seventh with a triple and scored on a Blake Cavill single. Sean Darnell doubled to score Cavill and make the score 9-4. The Trojans got another run on an ODU error to cut the lead to 9-5. Bailey Matela left a pair of runners stranded with a strikeout to end the inning.
Matela earned his third save of the season, allowing one hit and one walk in 2.1 innings.
Morgan earned the win, going 5.1 innings, allowing five hits and one run with two strikeouts.
Morales went 4-for-5 with a run and RBI, while Edwards was 3-for-3 with three RBIs.
The Monarchs take on Norfolk State at Marty L. Miller Field on Tuesday at 3 p.m.