GREENVILLE, NC (WTKR)- Things didn't look good for Old Dominion baseball on Wednesday night, until they did.
Robbie Petracci's three-run home run in the ninth inning capped off a four-run frame for the Monarchs, powering them to an 8-7 win over East Carolina. With the victory, ODU completed the two game season sweep of the Pirates.
ECU struck first with three runs in the third inning, but Old Dominion chipped away. Matt Coutney belted a solo home run to get the Monarchs on the board in the fourth, with Andy Garriola coming through with a clutch two-out, two-run double in the fifth to tie the game.
The Pirates had an answer, however, in their half of the fifth inning. Jacob Jenkins-Cowart connected on a three-run homer to right center field, putting ECU back in front, 6-3. A sixth-inning sacrifice bunt would allow ODU to get one of those runs back, but East Carolina's own sac bunt would put the Monarch deficit at 7-4.
That set the stage for the ninth inning heroics. Garriola checked in with his third RBI of the game to score Carter Trice. A Coutney single put two runners on to set up Petracci's big home run.
Noah Dean came onto pitch the bottom of the ninth and picked up his fifth save of the season.
The victory marks three in a row for the Monarchs, who improve to 21-6 on the campaign. They'll return home to face Texas-San Antonio in a weekend Conference USA series. Game one is set for Friday at 6:00.
