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Old Dominion University

No. 17 Coastal Carolina outlasts Old Dominion in 10 innings, takes Sun Belt baseball series

The Virginian-Pilot
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Old Dominion starting pitcher Jacob Gomez chases Coastal Carolina's Chad Born toward second base during a rundown in the fourth inning Sunday. Born was retired, but the Chanticleers scored the tying run on the play and went on to win in 10 innings at Bud Metheny Ballpark. BILLY SCHUERMAN/STAFF

Old Dominion starting pitcher Jacob Gomez chases Coastal Carolina's Chad Born toward second base during a rundown in the fourth inning Sunday. Born was retired, but the Chanticleers scored the tying run on the play and went on to win in 10 innings at Bud Metheny Ballpark. BILLY SCHUERMAN/STAFF (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

Old Dominion’s baseball team came up just short of achieving a series triumph against a nationally ranked opponent, losing 4-2 in 10 innings Sunday to No. 17 Coastal Carolina at Bud Metheny Ballpark.

Coastal pitchers struck out 21 Monarchs to overcome six walks.

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The Chanticleers (23-11, 11-4 Sun Belt Conference), who lost Friday’s opener, bounced back to take two victories against the Monarchs (24-11, 9-6).

Sunday’s taut game went to an extra inning, when Coastal immediately took its first lead of the day. Ty Dooley knocked the first pitch of the 10th inning over the wall in center field. Two outs later, Graham Brown launched a pitch to left field for a home run, the second given up in the inning by Robert Cook.

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Coastal Carolina Ty Dooley (3) yells toward his teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the 10th inning. Coastal Carolina defeated Old Dominion University 4-2 in ten innings at Bud Metheny Ballpark in Norfolk, Virginia, on April 16, 2023.

Coastal Carolina Ty Dooley (3) yells toward his teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run in the 10th inning. Coastal Carolina defeated Old Dominion University 4-2 in ten innings at Bud Metheny Ballpark in Norfolk, Virginia, on April 16, 2023. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot)

ODU’s Thomas Wheeler drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 10th, but the Chanticleers’ Teddy Sharkey (4-0) retired the next three batters, the final two on strikeouts, to close the game.

Wheeler’s homer to left gave ODU a 1-0 lead in the first, but Dooley’s single in the second brought in Nick Lucky with the tying run.

Chris Dengler slugged a home run to center in the third for a 2-1 ODU edge, but Lucky made it home from third base before teammate Chad Born was picked off between first and second bases in the fourth inning for a 2-2 deadlock.

Starter Jacob Gomez gave up ODU’s first two runs, but relievers Ron Cole, Bailey Matela and Cook held the Chanticleers hitless for the next five innings — until Dooley’s blast.

Coastal’s bullpen was similarly effective. Sharkey struck out eight and worked around four walks in 3 2/3 shutout innings for the victory.

ODU will regroup before Wednesday’s 6 p.m. game at VMI and next weekend’s three-game Sun Belt series at Appalachian State.

In the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index, according to Twitter’s RPI Update timeline, ODU is 49th — probably barely on the wrong side of the bubble for making the NCAA Tournament at large. So all 20 of ODU’s remaining regular-season games could be crucial to the Monarchs’ postseason hopes.

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