NORFOLK, Va. - Senior righthander Kyle Hald and two relief pitchers combined to throw an eight-hitter as Old Dominion University (16-16, 8-5) snapped the Tigers' (12-17-1, 6-7) six-game winning streak with a 6-3 Colonial Athletic Association victory at the Bud Metheny Complex on Friday afternoon.
Hald, who earned his fifth victory of the season, pitched the first six innings and allowed two runs on four hits with four walks and nine strikeouts. He left the game with a 6-2 lead.
Freshman righthander Dean Ali threw two scoreless innings before senior righthander Adam Wisniewski nailed down the win by pitching the ninth inning. With the tying run at the plate, Wisniewski struck out the final two hitters as ODU took a 1-0 lead in the three-game CAA weekend series.
In the top of the first inning, the Tigers squandered an excellent scoring opportunity. With one out, freshman second baseman Pat Fitzgerald doubled down the left field line. However, Hald struck out senior third baseman Chris Wychock struck out and senior first baseman Austin Harclerode grounded out to end the threat.
The Monarchs took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman righthander Brandon Gonnella of Towson walked the leadoff hitter, junior second baseman Brandon Shelton. After junior Brent Frazier sacrificed him to second base, junior shortstop Josh Wright lined a run-scoring single to centerfield, giving ODU a 1-0 lead.
Gonnella escaped the inning without any more damage when first baseman Christopher Baker grounded into a double play.
After the rough first inning, Gonnella settled down and retired the next seven hitters he faced.
However, he ran into trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning. Frazier led off with a single up the middle. Wright followed with a double down the right field line. Baker gave the Monarchs a 2-0 lead when he singled to rightfield, scoring Frazier.
Sophomore Shawn Sizemore gave ODU a 3-0 lead when he singled to rightfield to score Wright. Designated hitter Joey Burney kept the rally going when he lined a single through the right side to make it a 4-0 advantage.
Senior rightfielder Nathan Hartman came through with the biggest hit of the inning when he belted a double to right centerfield, driving in two runs for a 6-0 lead. However, senior rightfielder Steve Rice threw out Hartman as he tried to stretch his hit into a triple. With one out and no one on base, Gonnella retired the next two batters to end the inning.
After being shut out on two hits through five innings, the Tiger broke through in the sixth inning. Wychock led off the frame with a double to centerfield. After Harclerode struck out, Wychock advanced to third base on a wild pitch. When Rice drew a walk, the Tigers had runners on first and third.
When Hald uncorked a wild pitch, Wychock scored and Rice advanced to second base. An RBI single by junior centerfielder Ben Winter drove in Rice to pull the Tigers to within 6-2. After junior catcher Brian Wyman was retired on a fly ball to leftfield, pinch hitter Andrew Parker drew a walk. However, Hald escaped the jam when senior shortstop Nick Natoli grounded into a force play at third base.
After Ali pitched two shutout innings, Wisniewski came in from the bullpen to pitch the ninth inning. With one out, the Tigers tried to rally. Freshman leftfielder Dominic Fratantuono singled to right field and Natoli doubled to left, giving the Tigers two runners in scoring position.
Fitzgerald trimmed the Tigers' deficit to 6-3 when he drove in Fratantuono with his third hit of the game, a single through the left side.
With runners on the corners and one out, Wisniewski struck out Wychock and Harclerode to end the game.
While Gonnella allowed six runs on seven hits in 4.1 innings of work, the Tigers got an outstanding relief effort from sophomore righthander Mike Volpe.
Volpe pitched 3.2 shutout innings. He allowed four hits with no walks and five strikeouts.
ODU outhit the Tigers by an 11-8 margin as Hartman had two hits with two RBI's. Wright also contributed two hits and drove in a row.
Fitzgerald, the CAA Co-Rookie of the Week last week, went three-for-five, the first three-hit game of his career. Winter also had two hits and drove in a run.
The Tigers and the Monarchs resume their three-game CAA weekend series on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. Sophomore righthander Michael Trionfo will pitch for the Tigers against junior righthander Ben Tomchick of ODU.
