GREENVILLE, N.C. (April 23) - Freshman pitcher Mike Hoover (Gloucester, Va.) threw acomplete game for the second time in as many weeks to help the Monarchs to a 4-0victory over No. 21 East CarolinaApril 23 in Colonial AthleticAssociation baseball action.
With the victory, the Monarchs (27-16-1, 12-6 CAA) improved theircurrent winning streak to eight games and pulled off a regular-season sweepof the Pirates (33-14, 9-6 CAA) for the first time since joining the league. ODUis now in second place behind leagueleader UNC Wilmington, who swept George Mason.
Hoover, a right-hander, scattered seven hits in the contestwhile walking one and striking out two to earn the complete-game shutout. Heheld ECU in check throughout, allowing just one base runner past second basein the contest.
The Monarchs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as leadoffhitter Brent Sollenberger(Chambersburg, Pa.) walked and took second on asacrifice bunt.Sollenberger then scored on Tim Hummel's (Montgomery, NY) single to right centerfor aone-run cushion.
ECU threatened to tie the game in the third as Nick Schnabel singledwith two outs and moved to third on James Molinari's single. But Hooverforced a fly out to end the frame and ECU's only real scoring threat in thecontest.
ODU added two more in the sixth as Hummel led off with a double andscored on Jared Musolf's (Lakehurst, NJ) single. Musolf then took third on JeffEure's (Pillow, Pa.)basehit and came home on Joe Troilo's sacrifice fly. The Monarch's added onemore unearned run in the eighth as Musolf reached on a bunt single and stolesecond. Musolf then scored from second when John Ohler reached on a two-outerror.
Hummel and Musolf each went 2-4 for Old Dominionwith one RBI each. Hummel is now hitting .414, whileMusolf is at .424.
On March 3, the Monarchs were 2-9-1, but have since gone25-7. In the last two weeks in which Old Dominion has woneight straight, the Monarchs have beaten N.C. State homeand on the road and swept both VCU and ECU on the road.
The Monarchs play VCU in a non-conference affair Mondaynight at 7:00 p.m. at Coy Tillet Field in Manteo, NC.
ODU 100 002 010 -4-5-0ECU 000 000 000 -0-7-4
ODU Battery:Mike Hoover and John OehlerECU Battery:Jason Tourangeau, Davey Penny(6), Cory Scott(8) and Clayton McCullough.
WP:Hoover(2-1)
LP:Tourangeau (2-3)