GREENVILLE, NC (ODUSports.com) – Andrea Dalatri delivered a three-run home run in the top of the 12th inning to rally Old Dominion University Baseball to a 6-5 win over No. 17 East Carolina on the road Wednesday evening. The Monarchs handed the Pirates its first home loss of the season and its first win over ECU since 2014.
"It was a really good college baseball game. I thought we showed a ton of toughness and resilience," expressed head coach Chris Finwood." It's a tough place to play and we hung in there and finally got a big hit. I was really proud of our guys tonight."
Kyle Battle led off the game with a home run to put ODU up, 1-0 in the first inning. Not long after, freshman Carter Trice followed suit, logging his second career home run, putting ODU ahead, 2-0 following the fourth inning.In the bottom of the seventh, ECU managed to capitalize off a single, a double and a home run to take a 3-2 advantage over ODU.
ODU scored one run in the ninth inning to tie the game up, 3-3. Trice led off with a single up the left line and advanced to second off a Brock Gagliardi hit by pitch. Trice advanced once more off a Jared Hancock walk, which loaded the bases. Kenny Levari plated Trice to put ODU back even, 3-3 following the top of the ninth. Jason Hartline struck out three straight ECU batters to send the game into extra innings, ODU's second extra inning ball game of the young season.
Both squads logged one hit in the 10th but each left two on base.
An offensive spark built for ODU as Andy Garriola led off the 12th with a walk for the Monarchs. Junior Dominick Claxton delivered a bunt single to advance Garriola. Dalatri rocketed one over the left field wall to knock in three runs, and a 6-3 ODU lead.
The Pirates added two runs in the bottom of the 12th inning but, Noah Dean got a flyout to Claxton in center to end the game.
The win on Wednesday night marked ODU's first win over a ranked opponent since 2019 when ODU took down No. 28 FAU.
The Monarch pitching staff compiled 14 strikeouts. Freshman Jacob Gomez earned the win for ODU, coming into the game in the bottom of the 10th and striking out a Pirate batter with two runners on base to hold off any ECU offense. The Rutherford, New Jersey native followed up in the 11th with three-straight outs. Dean picked up his first save of the season, striking out two in the 12th inning.
Tommy Gertner made his second start of the season, fanning six in 4.2 innings of work.
Up Next
ODU will return to the Bud Metheny Baseball Complex to play host to Northeastern on March 5-7.
