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Monarchs Keep the Pressure On, Defeat Keydets 9-2

NORFOLK, Va.- Old Dominion scored in each of the final four innings to take control of the game and post a 9-2 non-conference baseball victory over VMI Wednesday evening at the Bud Metheny Complex. With the win, ODU improves to 22-27 on the season, while VMI falls to 21-25.

Five different Monarchs posted a pair of hits on the night, led by sophomore first baseman Bryan Cipolla, who collected his CAA-leading 60th & 61st RBIs of the season along with a single and a double. Junior centerfielder Steve Harris had a pair of doubles, along with two RBI, while junior third baseman Justin Gregula collected a single and a double and scored a run.

Notching the win for the home team was junior lefty Bryan Hansen (4-6), who worked five innings, allowing only four hits and one earned run while striking out five. Coming on in relief of Hansen was junior righthander Dana Arrowood, who surrendered only two hits in three innings while also striking out five. Senior James Burok worked the ninth for the Monarchs, allowing a single run on two hits.

Earning the hard-luck loss for VMI was senior Josh Owens (3-3), who allowed only two runs in four innings on five hits. However, the Keydet bats could not come through to support Owens, as he left trailing 2-1 in the fifth inning.

Sophomore Mike Anton came on in the fifth inning for the Keydets, allowing Jess Schoendienst to score the inning's only run on a fielder's choice, despite loading the bases with no outs. Anton then came up with a strikeout of Cippola, then got out of the jam on a ground ball to second base to keep the deficit at 3-1.

However, the Keydets could not escape further harm in the sixth, when ODU put up three runs to take a 6-1 lead. Back-to-back doubles by Gregula and Harris led off the sixth, followed by an error by the shortstop on the first batter faced by sophomore Corey Bachman that allowed Harris to score. Two batters later, a sacrifice fly by Chris Keenan gave the Monarchs the five-run advantage going into the seventh inning.

From there, Arrowood continued to mow down the Keydet hitters, as VMI placed their leadoff men on base in each of the last six innings, however, came up with only one run to show for it. That run came with two outs in the bottom of the ninth on a sacrifice fly by Matt Smith, scoring B.T. Good.

In the game, only Matt Smith and Good recorded multiple hits, as each had two knocks. Each had a single and a double, while Smith drove in both runs and Good scored one of the tallies. Scoring the other run for VMI was Chase Buchanan, who went 1-for-3, scoring the Keydets' run in the third inning.

Five pitchers in all worked for VMI, as Anton, Bachman, John Goode and Jacoby Fields each worked one inning for the Keydets.

VMI returns to action Friday afternoon, when they host their final weekend series of the year in Big South rival High Point. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Patchin Field on Friday afternoon.
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