SAN ANTONIO -- Nine combined runs over the third and fourth innings powered No. 19 Old Dominion to a 14-11 win over UTSA baseball in the series opener of a four-game set, on Friday night at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (19-20, 11-13 Conference USA) had answered a single Old Dominion run in the second inning before the Monarchs plated three runs in the third, six in the fourth and two in the fifth for a 12-1 lead. The Roadrunners started chipping away, scoring five in the fifth and answered a pair in the top of the sixth with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame.
UTSA collected 11 runs on eight hits, including a 3-for-5 night from junior centerfielder Dylan Rock, who drove in a pair. UTSA also got hits from Sean Arnold, Austin Ochoa and Sean Arnold, with Joshua Lamb extending his hitting streak to 12 games with a knock.
Nick Thornquist, a member of the Buster Posey National Catcher of the Year Award Watch List, cranked his 11th homer of the year, the third straight game with a blast for the UTSA senior. The native of Flower Mound, Texas, has four homers in his last three games.
The Roadrunners turned to junior right-hander Pepper Jones (0-2) for his sixth career start. Jones worked three innings, allowing four hits and four runs, walking two and striking out three. Freshman righty Shane Anderson opened the fourth in relief of Jones, allowing six runs on four hits and two walks, striking out one over two outs recorded. Freshman Kyle Sonduck came on to get the last out in the fourth before Ryan Ward opened the fifth.
Ward allowed two-run innings in the fifth and sixth before settling in to work a perfect seventh. He set new career highs in innings (four) and strikeouts (five), allowing four runs on six hits and two walks. Freshman Fischer Kingbery worked a perfect ninth.
Old Dominion (32-11, 18-7 C-USA) starter Tommy Gertner worked four-plus innings, allowing five hits and six runs, walking two and striking out four. In a bases-loaded jam to open the fifth, with the first five hitters reaching, ODU called on hard-throwing righty Aaron Holiday. Holiday (3-1) worked out of the inning, despite three run-scoring wild pitches, picking up the win. Jacob Gomez and Jason Hartline also worked in relief. Hartline worked 2.1 innings, allowing just the homer to Thornquist, before giving way to Noah Dean, who earned his sixth save of the year in the ninth.
The series will resume with a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday, starting at 2 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
The Monarchs struck first in the second inning, getting a leadoff, full-count walk from Brock Gagliardi, who motored first-to-third on a single into the right-centerfield gap from Tommy Bell. Thomas Wheeler then legged out the back end of a double play to force home Gagliardi for a 1-0 ODU lead.
UTSA answered in the bottom of the second inning, getting a leadoff single from Taipa and a four-pitch walk from Bailey. After Arnold's perfectly placed bunt on the third-base line loaded the bases, Ochoa hit a grounder double play up the middle, allowing Tapia to score to even the game at 1-1.
The Monarchs regained the lead in the top of the third inning, getting a double from Kyle Battle down the rightfield line and a one-out walk from Carter Trice. Andy Garriola followed with a RBI double, ripped into the left-centerfield gap to allow Battle to score from second. Gagliardi followed with a two-run double into the gap, taking the lead to 4-1.
In the top of the fourth, ODU got a two-run homer from Ryan Teschko, his sixth of the year, to take the lead to 6-1. A bases-loaded hit by pitch to Matt Coutney stretched the lead to 7-1. A bases-clearing double from Tommy Bell took the lead to 10-1.
A two-run double from Garriola took the lead to 12-1 in the fifth.
UTSA rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning, getting a leadoff walk from Arnold, a single from Ochoa and a hit by pitch from Shea Gutierrez to load the bases. Rock then lined a two-strike, two-run double into the right-centerfield gap to score Arnold and Ochoa. After Thornquist was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Gutierrez and Rock came around to score on wild pitches. Thornquist then scored on a third wild pitch of the inning, taking the ODU lead down to 12-6.
Battle's two-run single in the sixth stretched the lead to 14-6.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Arnold drew a walk and took third after an error on the throw to get him as the lead runner out at second base on a grounder hit by Ochoa. Arnold then scored on a balk, with Ochoa taking second. Thornquist forced home a pair with a fielder's choice, with Gutierrez scoring after an attempted throw for a double play sailed in the dirt. Lamb followed with a shallow fly ball that was misplayed in short rightfield, dropping in for a single, allowing Thornquist to score to cut the lead 14-10.
Thornquist cranked his 11th homer of the year with one out in the eighth, cutting the lead to 14-11.
GAME NOTES: Junior RHP Pepper Jones worked in his fifth game of 2021 and started his fourth … Jones has worked in 11 games in his career with six starts … Freshman 3B Austin Ochoa made his team-leading 21st start at third … Freshman RHP Shane Anderson worked in his sixth game of the year … Freshman RHP Kyle Sonduck pitched in his eighth game of the year and the 13th of his career … Freshman RHP Ryan Ward worked in his sixth career game and his first since April 1 … Ward struck out a career high (five) and worked the longest outing of his career (four innings) … Freshman RHP Fischer Kingsbery worked in his fourth career game … Junior CF Dylan Rock has reached base safely in 17 straight games … Rock has reached base safely in 35 of 38 games in 2021 … Rock has reached base safely in 146 of 160 career starts … Rock stole his ninth base of the year and the 27th of his career … Rock doubled for the ninth time in 2021 and the 42nd time in his career … Rock collected his fourth three-hit game of the year … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton has reached base safely in 35 of his 38 starts in 2021 … Paxton has reached base safely in 98 of 108 career starts … Paxton was hit by his ninth pitch of 2021 and the 16th of his career … Junior LF Jonathan Tapia has reached base safely in 29 of 35 starts in 2021 … Tapia has made starts at second (18), third (13), shortstop (one), leftfield (two) and rightfield (one) in 2021 … Tapia has reached base safely in 92 of 113 career starts … Tapia was hit by his ninth pitch of the year and the 32nd of his career … Junior 2B Shea Gutierrez was hit by his fourth and fifth pitches of the year … Senior C Nick Thornquist has reached base safely in 17 consecutive games … Thornquist has reached base safely in 37 of 39 starts in 2021 … Thornquist has caught a team-leading 33 games in 2021 … Thornquist has reached base safely in 80 of 93 career starts … Thornquist was hit by his sixth pitch of 2021 and the ninth of his career … Thornquist homered for the 11th time in 2021 and the 18th time in his career … Thornquist has four homers in his last three games … Junior SS Joshua Lamb has a 12-game hitting streak … Lamb has reached base safely in 36 of 39 games in 2021 … Lamb has reached base safely in 92 of 113 career starts … The Roadrunners are 5-2 vs. left-handed starting pitchers … UTSA is 8-9 at home in 2021 … UTSA is 1-8 vs. ranked foes in 2021 … UTSA is 4-7 on Friday nights … UTSA is 8-9 when its opponent scores first … The series is tied, 10-10 including a 5-5 in games played in San Antonio.
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