Old Dominion University’s baseball team clinched a series victory over eighth-ranked Coastal Carolina, according to a May 10 announcement from the program. Head coach Chris Finwood said, “The last two days we really played good baseball against a really good team. The guys were very tough-minded and competed their tails off. Really happy for them and all the Monarchs!”
The Monarchs took an early lead with Will Johnson hitting a home run on the second pitch of the game. ODU added three more runs in the third inning after loading the bases, capitalizing on an error by Coastal Carolina’s starting pitcher Cameron Flukey and back-to-back RBI singles from Zach Leite and Maverick Stallings.
Johnson continued his strong performance by driving in another run in the fourth inning, extending ODU’s lead to 5-0. Coastal Carolina managed to score in the sixth, but relief pitcher Sulpizio recorded consecutive strikeouts to halt further scoring threats.
ODU regained momentum in the seventh when Efrain Morales scored following another defensive error by Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers responded with one run but could not close the gap as ODU extended its advantage through additional hits by Dye, Felton, and Morales in later innings.
Pitcher Sulpizio improved his record to 2-1 after holding Coastal Carolina to one run over nearly four innings while striking out six batters without issuing any walks. Okonkwo started for ODU, scattering three hits across several innings before being relieved.
This win marks Old Dominion’s third ranked victory of the season and their first series win over a Top 10 opponent since defeating Southern Miss in May 2022. The Monarchs outhit their opponents 13-6 during this matchup and excelled with runners on base throughout the game.
Looking ahead, ODU will finish its regular season at home against James Madison University with games scheduled later this week.
