NORFOLK, Va. – TJ Aiken, Maverick Stallings, and Zach Leite all homered and Ben Tanton tossed three shutout innings in relief as Old Dominion Baseball capped off its weekend series versus UConn with a 6-5 win over the Huskies.
“It was a good ball game, and we had some big at bats when we need them. I thought we pitched well today across the board and Ben Tanton gave us three big shutout innings when we needed it. We also got a big day from TJ, Mav and Zach at the plate for us,” said ODU head coach Chris Finwood.
ODU led 6-3 through seven innings before UConn narrowed the gap with two runs in the eighth. Jackson Marshall singled up the middle, Maddix Dalena went down looking, and Nater Wachter reached on an ODU fielding error to put runners on first and second with one out. UConn’s Gabriel Tirado then smacked a 1-1 pitch down the right-field line to bring in Marshall, and Cam Righi cut ODU’s lead to 6-5 when he singled through the right side, scoring Wachter.
“We have to be able to turn that double play in the eighth inning and they don’t score,” added Finwood.
In the top of the ninth, Kellen Davis retired the first two batters on a couple of ground outs before Marshall singled up the middle. UConn brought in Peyton Jemison as a pinch runner, but Davis picked him off to end the game.
Aiken (3-for-5) hit his first home run of the season, scored twice, and drove in two runs. Stallings finished 1-for-3 on the day, but his lone hit was a three-run blast that put the Monarchs (8-6) back in front for good. Leite went 2-for-3 with his fourth home run of the year, and Macaddin Dye hit 2-for-3 with one walk.
Tanton (1-0) earned his first career win after keeping the Huskies (7-8) in check for three innings. The freshman from Vestal, New York entered the game in the fifth and retired all nine batters he faced. Davis then pitched the last two frames and collected his second save of the season. He allowed two runs, one of them earned, on four hits, recorded two strikeouts, and didn’t walk anyone. Ryan Sheehy struck out five, but was tagged for two runs on three hits and three walks in a three-inning start.
The Huskies jumped out to a quick 2-0 start in the top of the first on a two-run home run from Chris Polemeni. ODU wouldn’t have to wait long for a response though as Aiken lifted a 1-2 offering to the stands in left center field.
The Monarchs jumped ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the third. Will Johnson led off with a base hit back up the middle, Aiken beat out a bunt single to first base, and Stallings connected on the first pitch he saw for a three-run bomb to the visitor bleachers in right center.
UConn got a run back in the top of the fourth when Righi walked, advanced to third on a Chase Taylor single to center field, and came home when Evan Menzel reached on a fielder’s choice. In the home half of the inning, Grayson Sparr doubled down the left-field line and moved up to third on a Johnson ground out to second base. Sparr then made it a 5-3 lead as he raced home on an Aiken single back up the middle. Leite then rounded out the scoring for ODU with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth.
ODU outhit UConn, 11-8, and both teams left eight runners on base.
Up Next
The Monarchs will make the drive to Greenville, North Carolina this Tuesday for a 6 p.m. meeting with East Carolina.