NORFOLK, Va. – For the third time in the past two weeks, Old Dominion Baseball secured a walk-off victory at home.
This time it was Scotty Young coming up clutch with a two-RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the ninth.
Trailing 6-4 and down to its final three outs, ODU got a runner on as Maverick Stallings hit a one-out single to left field. He then moved up to third as TJ Aiken singled down the right-field line. The Monarchs (22-22) brought in Jack Slater as a pinch hitter for Evan Holman, and he narrowed the gap to 6-5 with an RBI double that landed fair just inside the left-field line. Young then smacked the first pitch he saw back up the middle, scoring Aiken from third. Slater was also waved home and VCU center fielder Michael Petite quickly threw to the plate, but Slater slid in safely under the tag of catcher Teige Lethert.
The Rams (23-21) struck first with three runs in the top of the second inning. After a pair of singles by Nate Kirkpatrick and Lethert and a walk by Alec Warden to load the bases, Trent Adelman was hit by a pitch. Quinn Maher then walked to put the visitors up 2-0 as ODU brought in Ethan Hubbell to relieve starter Cole Lanford. Hubbell induced a 6-4-3 double play, but another run scored on the play as the Monarchs trailed, 3-0.
The visitors tacked on another run in the top of the third inning. With no outs and the bases loaded, Lethert hit into a 4-6-3 double. However, VCU’s Jacob Lee scored from third on the play to push the Rams’ lead to 4-0.
ODU finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back one-out doubles by Will Johnson and Zach Leite brought in the Monarchs’ first run of the game. Efrain Morales then singled up the middle, bringing in Leite from second to cut the deficit to 4-2.
The Silver and Blue then pulled even with another two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Nick Felton led off the frame and was hit by a pitch, and Johnson moved him up to third with a ground-rule double down the right-field line. Felton scored on a Leite ground out to first, and Johnson knotted the game at 4-4 as he scored on a Morales base hit through the right side of the VCU defense.
In the top of the eighth, the Rams put runners in scoring position after a leadoff walk, a throwing error by ODU reliever Bailey Matela on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and then another sac bunt. VCU’s Quinn Maher put the Rams up 6-4 with a two-RBI double down the right-field line.
Johnson finished 2-for-3 with two doubles, two runs scored, and one walk. Morales went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, Young hit 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Stallings also had a 2-for-4 night with one run. Leite (1-for-4) had one double, one run, and two RBIs while Slater (1-for-1) contributed the RBI double and a run.
Maddox Jack (1-1) picked up the win after working around a one-out single in the top of the ninth. He recorded one strikeout and faced four batters. Lanford was tagged for three runs on as many hits with two walks and two strikeouts in one inning of work.
ODU improves to 96-61 in the all-time series. The Monarchs have now won five of their last six meetings with the Rams. The team also turned three double plays on the night, a new season high.
Up Next
The Monarchs are home this weekend as they host Arkansas State for a Sun Belt series at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex. The two teams will play at 6 p.m. on Friday, at 3 p.m. on Saturday, and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.