NORFOLK, Va. – A three-run top of the fifth inning proved to be the difference on Friday afternoon as Old Dominion Baseball dropped its series opener to UConn, 4-2.
“It was a good ballgame, but we made too many routine errors to win on a Friday,” said ODU head coach Chris Finwood. “We need to toughen up and want to win more. UConn pitched it well and we did too. You have to make routine plays to beat good teams.”
After a scoreless couple of innings to start the game, the Huskies (6-7) finally broke through with a run in the third. With two outs and Chris Polemeni standing on first after reaching on a fielder’s choice, Jackson Marshall singled to left before Maddix Dalena hit a ball towards short. Will Johnson bobbled the ball on the play, and the miscue allowed Polemeni to come around for the 1-0 visitor lead.
Maverick Stallings and Macaddin Dye put together a couple of two-out hits in the bottom of the fourth, but the Monarchs (7-5) came up empty as Brody Connors went down swinging. UConn then plated another three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth.
With no outs and the bases loaded, UConn’s Nater Wachter drove in a run with a base hit through the left side of the ODU defense. Owen Yarussi struck out the next batter before being lifted for Patrick Johnson, who induced a ground ball to Cash Jay at third, and he fired home to Dye for the force out at the plate. However, Chase Taylor pushed the Huskies’ lead to 4-0 with a 2-RBI single through the left side.
In the home half of the fifth, Grayson Sparr hit a leadoff single to center field and Jay followed with a single through the left side. After TJ Aiken struck out swinging, ODU loaded the bases when Will Johnson reached on an error by the UConn second baseman. Zach Leite then earned a free RBI with a bases-loaded walk, and Tyler Zedalis cut the deficit to 4-2 with an RBI single through the left side. The guests turned a 5-4-3 double play though to get out of the inning.
Neither side scored again the rest of the game. Stallings had a two-out single in the eighth and Jay also singled with two outs in the ninth, but both were left stranded as the Huskies held on for the win.
Stallings led the Monarchs with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. Zedalis went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Jay also finished 2-for-4 and scored a run. Leite (1-for-3) drove in one run and walked once, and Sparr (1-for-2) scored one run.
Darin Kuskie (2-2) took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits and three walks. He recorded six strikeouts and had two wild pitches in a four-inning start. Jayce Park pitched two shutout innings on the back end and tallied three strikeouts with no hits and one walk.
Both teams tallied 10 hits, though UConn left 13 runners on base compared to seven left stranded by the Monarchs. ODU also committed four errors.
Up Next
The teams continue the series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.