MONTGOMERY, AL (WTKR)- Getting its first ever Sun Belt Tournament win was a first step, but Old Dominion baseball knows its only path to the NCAA Tournament is to win its conference playoff.
The Monarchs took an even bigger step Wednesday and did so in much louder fashion.
ODU scored six runs in the fourth inning and upset top-seeded Louisiana, 7-3, to keep rolling and move into the winner's bracket of the tournament. It was a nice way to avenge a series sweep at the hands of the Ragin' Cajuns from earlier in the season.
"We knew the challenge in front of us," Old Dominion head coach Chris Finwood said after the win. "I looked up in the fourth when we were up 7-0 and I said, 'man, we already scored more runs than we scored in three games down there.'"
Kenny Levari's big play continued as he gave the Monarchs an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run in the first. He'd add an RBI single to start the scoring in that big fourth frame and hustle around to score from first on a Luke Waters double.
After Steven Meier drove in another run on an RBI groundout, Evan Holman stepped up and roped a double down the left field line to score two more and T.J. Aiken would round out the ODU scoring with an RBI single of his own. When the dust settled in the frame, the silver and blue held a 7-0 advantage.
The top-seeded Cajuns would not go down quietly, adding three runs in the eighth, but John Holobetz slammed the door in the ninth.
"We have to win the tournament to get into the next tournament," Finwood noted. "We've still got the opportunity to do that now."
"We're here to play," added Levari. "We're not scared of anybody here. We're just going to take it day by day and I think what they say at this time of year is survive and advance, so that's all we're trying to do."
Levari finished the day 2-4 with the home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Holman also put together a 2-4 showing at the plate with two RBI.
Blake Morgan started strong on the mound for the Monarchs, pitching the first three innings of shutout baseball and striking out three. He'd hand the ball to Ben Moore, who tossed four no-hit innings, struck out five and walked just one. Holobetz came on to pitch the final two frames.
Old Dominion improved to 31-24 and will face either James Madison or Georgia Southern Thursday night at 8:30 Eastern. The Monarchs took two of three from each squad during the regular season.
