NORFOLK, Va. – A couple of early home runs by Tyler Zedalis and Maverick Stallings helped build an early 5-1 lead as Old Dominion baseball completed its Sun Belt series sweep of Georgia Southern, 6-3 on Sunday at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex.
Zedalis opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a two-run shot that hit the left-field foul pole. It was his third long ball of the series as well as third in the past two days. Stallings immediately followed with a solo home run down the right-field line as the Monarchs (20-19, 8-10 Sun Belt) jumped out to a 3-0 lead.
The Eagles (12-27, 5-13) had runners on the corners with two outs in the second inning, but ODU starter Cole Lanford got out of the inning as GS shortstop Frank Wells popped out to Stallings in shallow right field. In the bottom of the inning, Grayson Sparr led off with a single through the right side and reached second on a Nick Felton sac bunt. Efrain Morales then reached on a throwing error by Wells, and the miscue allowed Sparr to slide in safely at home and put the Monarchs ahead, 4-0.
Bryson Trammell got the visitors on the board with a sacrifice fly in the third. However, ODU answered right back as Zach Leite hit a leadoff double to right field, moved up to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Stallings base hit back up the middle.
Georgia Southern cut into the ODU lead with another run in the sixth inning. After Sean White led off with a double to the corner in right field, a fielding error by Cole McKenna allowed him to score as the Eagles narrowed the gap, 5-2. McKenna redeemed himself by turning a 4-3 double play and then fielded another ground ball for the third out.
The Eagles threatened again in the seventh. Nico Senese led off with a single up the middle but was erased on a Kaden Thompson fielder’s choice. Leite fielded the ground ball and fired Johnson for the force at second, but ODU could not turn the double play in time. Thompson stole second, Jonathan Jamie walked, and both runners moved up 90 feet as Bennett Edwards grounded out to first base. Sulpizio got out of the inning unharmed though as he struck out James McCoy looking.
McKenna singled and stole second to start the bottom half of the seventh. Following a TJ Aiken walk, Scotty Young laid down a sac bunt but a fielding error by GS pitcher Thomas Burked allowed him to reach safely. GS kept it a 6-2 deficit though as Jack Slater went down looking, McKenna was caught trying to steal home when Felton missed the ball trying for a squeeze play, and Young was out at second on a Felton fielder’s choice that was hit to short.
In the eighth, White hit a hard ball towards Zedalis at third that he kicked into foul territory, allowing White to reach second on the hit and error. White took third on as Trammell grounded out to first and then came home as Brady Christman grounded out to short.
Sulpizio worked around a two-out single in the ninth and recorded a pair of strikeouts to close out the game.
Stallings went 2-for-3 with his eighth homer of the year and also drove in two runs. Johnson (2-for-4) scored a run with a base on balls, Zedalis (1-for-4) contributed the two-run shot, and Leite (1-for-4) doubled, scored twice, and collected one RBI.
Tyler Stott (2-0) picked up the win after allowing one unearned run on one hit. He did not walk anyone and struck out four in 3.1 innings in relief. Sulpizio earned the save after tossing three complete innings. He also gave up one unearned run, scattered three hits, issued two walks, and recorded three strikeouts. Lanford was tagged for one run on three hits and two walks while striking out a pair of Eagles in a 2.2-inning start.
ODU hit a combined .307 for the series and outscored the Eagles, 21-12. On the mound, Monarch pitching combined for a 3.21 ERA, recorded 26 strikeouts against 17 walks, and held GS batters to a .290 clip against them. The Monarchs improve to 10-7 in the all-time series.
Up Next
Old Dominion rounds out its homestand this Tuesday when the Monarchs host East Carolina for a 6 p.m. game.