By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Playing on campus for the first time in 642 days, the Old Dominion baseball team delighted the home crowd by defeating Quinnipiac, 15-5, Friday afternoon at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex.
The teams meet again Saturday in a doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.
The game was the first played at ODU since May 12, 2024. Because the Monarchs’ home stadium is undergoing a $24 million renovation, last season they played “home” games at Harbor Park and Hampton’s War Memorial Stadium.
With stadium construction ongoing, ODU set up temporary seating, as well as fan amenities, behind the left-field bleachers.
Head Coach Chris Finwood was pleased with his team’s victory, and praised the fans who turned out.
The left-field bleachers, which seat about 800, were about half full on a sunny but cold afternoon.
“It was nice to see a good crowd out here today and I’m hoping for a better one tomorrow,” he said. “It was obviously great to play at home again. It’s been a long time. I thought our guys came out excited and we played pretty well. Opening days are always a learning experience, and we were able to get a bunch of guys some reps.”
Finwood praised starting pitcher Darin Kuskie, a transfer from USC Upstate, who threw well in his first ODU game. He retired Quinnipiac’s first six batters, then gave up three runs in the third, but then settled down, striking out nine and not allowing a walk in five strong innings.
“He threw the ball well,” Finwood said. “After giving up three, he really settled down and gave us a good, quality start.”
Left fielder Efrain Morales was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and first baseman Zach Leite also went also went 3-for-5 with five RBIs and a run scored to lead the ODU offense, which was prolific.
Second baseman Maverick Stallings was 3-for-4 with three RBIs, designated hitter Tyler Zedalis 2-for-4 and outfielder TJ Aiken 1-for-2 with four RBIs.
ODU got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Leite doubled home Aiken and Macaddin Dye.
The Monarchs trailed, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth when they scored four runs to take the lead for good. Morales, third baseman Cash Jay and Leite all drove in runs with singles while Aiken drove in another with a sacrifice fly.
ODU blew the game open in the fifth, scoring six runs as Dye, Zedalis and Morales each singled in a run, Leite drove a run in with an error and Stallings drove in two more with a single.
In the bottom of the sixth, shortstop Will Johnson stole home on a delayed double steal. Leite then scored Aiken with a sacrifice fly, and Morales singled Leite home in the eighth.
The crowd seemed to enjoy the amenities, including the Power Alley Patio, which featured food and drink usually offered in Rally Alley, the first-base amenity closed for the season.
“I’m a college baseball addict and it’s so good to have baseball back at ODU,” added Paul Shows, a long-time area baseball coach who won the ODU baseball Bud Metheny Award in 2022. “I caught a few games in Hampton last year, but there’s nothing like games here on campus.”
Minium is ODU's Senior Executive Writer for Athletics. Contact him at hminium@odu.edu or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
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