CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (WTKR)- Old Dominion baseball knows the sting of losing to Virginia all-too well. On Tuesday night, the Monarchs handed UVA a little sting of its own.
ODU picked up clutch hits and saw strong pitching as the Monarchs upset the No. 5 Cavaliers, 9-2, in Charlottesville. It marked Virginia's first non-conference loss of the year and just its second loss in its last 21 home games.
The Monarchs struck first when Matt Coutney's first inning double scored two runs. The score would remain 2-0 until the third, when Kyle Teel tied the game with a two run home run.
That would prove to be the only offense the Wahoos could muster. The silver and blue pitching staff shut down the UVA bats for the final six innings. A four-run fourth inning and three-run ninth would give ODU plenty of insurance as the Monarchs snapped a two-game skid. Coutney's 12th home run of the season came in the ninth inning as well.
Tommy Gertner was solid in his start on the mound, throwing 4.2 innings and giving up just the two runs. Henry Hersum, Brad Dobzanski and Jacob Gomez threw the final 6.1 shutout frames and allowed just one hit.
The victory gives Old Dominion a huge victory in terms of NCAA Tournament potential and is the first win for ODU over a top 10 program since 2016. Virginia entered the night eighth in the RPI and the win will no doubt boost the Monarchs' resume.
This marked the first meeting between the two teams since last year's Columbia Regional final which saw UVA top Old Dominion, 4-3, in 10 innings.
The Monarchs return to action on Thursday when they open a three-game series at UAB.
