The Old Dominion Monarchs lost to Georgia State University on April 26 after a late comeback forced extra innings, ending with a walk-off home run by the Panthers. The game saw freshman outfielder Nick Felton hit two home runs for the Monarchs, but the team was unable to hold onto its lead.
The result is significant as it impacts both teams’ standings in their conference and highlights the volatility of late-game situations in college baseball.
Georgia State took an early lead in the first inning, but Old Dominion responded with six straight runs over three innings. Felton’s three-run homer gave ODU its first lead, followed by another two-run shot from him in his next at-bat. Additional runs came from Will Johnson and Tyler Zedalis as ODU built a 7-1 advantage by the sixth inning.
Despite this strong showing, Georgia State began to close the gap with a solo home run from Adam Haber. In the ninth inning, reliever Nick Sulpizio struggled as Georgia State loaded the bases and Cole Griffith hit a grand slam to tie the game. Tyler Stott managed to prevent further damage and sent the game into extra innings.
In the tenth inning, Zedalis reached third base for ODU but was left stranded. In their half of the tenth, Georgia State’s Maginnis hit a walk-off home run against Stott (2-1), handing Old Dominion its loss. Felton finished with two homers and five RBIs; Morales went 2-for-4 with an RBI; Stallings had two hits including a double; Zedalis contributed an RBI double; Young also doubled and scored twice.
Starter Jackson Okonkwo pitched three innings for ODU, allowing one run on four hits while striking out one batter. The Monarchs now have a record of 21-22 overall and will host VCU at Ellmer Family Baseball Complex on Tuesday at 6 p.m., looking to recover from this defeat.
