MONTGOMERY, Ala. — For most of this season, the Old Dominion baseball team did not live up its nickname of “the Bud Bombers,” a moniker the Monarchs earned with their prolific bats in recent years.
But on Wednesday night, the Bud Bombers were back.
ODU scored six runs in the pivotal fourth inning, and shocked top-seeded and 21st-ranked Louisiana, 7-3, at Riverwalk Stadium in the second round of the Guardian Credit Union Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
It was quite a reversal of fortunes from earlier this season when Louisiana (40-17) swept a three-game series from ODU (31-24) in Lafayette, La., in which the Monarchs were outscored, 18-1.
No. 8 seed ODU will take on Georgia Southern Thursday night at 8:30 ET. They beat James Madison 12-4 in the late game.
ODU head coach Chris Finwood says his team must win the Sun Belt in order to go to the NCAA Tournament, and Wednesday’s victory was a huge if unexpected step.
“We know we have to win the tournament and we’ve still got the opportunity to do that,” Finwood said. “We won a real close game yesterday to get here tonight.
“Then we had to beat the number one seed, which had a fantastic year, the best team in our league from start to finish. We went out and outplayed them today.
“Whoever we play next is going to be good but that’s the case with every team in this league.
“You’ve got to play well. We said from the beginning of the season that when we play well, we’ve got a chance to win. When we play baseball like that, you’re going to give yourself a chance.”
ODU torched Louisiana starter Chase Morgan, the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, for five runs and chased him in the fourth.
ODU, meanwhile, got stellar pitching from starter Blake Morgan and reliever Ben Moore, who combined to pitch seven scoreless innings.
ODU senior third baseman Kenny Levari starred for the second consecutive night.
After belting out two hits and scoring the game-winning run in a 3-2 play-in game victory over South Alabama on Tuesday, he had two hits, including a first-inning home run, and scored twice with two RBIs against the Ragin' Cajuns.
Kenny Edwards led off the top of the fourth with a double and was driven in by Levari, who singled to right. Luke Walters then doubled to left center, scoring the fleet Levari from first to make it 3-0.
Jake Ticer and Alex Bouche then both walked, loading the bases. Center fielder Steven Meier then grounded out, scoring Walters to build the lead to 4-0.
Catcher Evan Holman then bounced a long drive into the stands, scoring Ticer and Walters to extend the margin to 6-0.
Holman finished with two hits, including a triple, and two RBIs and scored a run.
Left fielder TJ Aiken then singled up the middle, scoring Holman, to close out the scoring for ODU.
Morgan, the junior who was a Freshman All-American two years ago, pitched like an All-American on Wednesday, throwing three scoreless innings and striking out three.
He was relieved by Moore, a Freshman All-American last season, who was even more flawless.
Entering the game with a man on first, he got three consecutive outs to end the fourth.
Moore did not allow a base runner until the seventh inning, when second baseman Lee
Amedee walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. But he forced Jose Torres to hit into a ground out to end the inning.
He threw four hitless innings and struck out five.
“Ben Moore was the star of the game on the mound today,” Finwood said. “He was fantastic.”
John Holobetz came in to relieve Moore in the eighth and Louisiana briefly rallied, narrowing the lead to 7-3 on home runs by Trey LaFleur and John Taylor.
Holobetz, one of ODU’s best pitchers, then settled down in the ninth, and retired three of four batters.
Pitching coach Mike Marron went to the mound to talk with Holobetz between batters.
“Mike went out there and got under Holobetz’s skin a little bit, and then he really threw well for us,” Finwood said.
Louisiana head baseball coach Matt Deggs praised the Monarchs.
“You saw hunger on one side of the field tonight,” he said. “Old Dominion, they played out of desperation and played their hearts out.
“They out energized us. They totally outplayed us.”
Louisiana will meet the loser of the JMU-Georgia Southern game Thursday at 1:30.
The double-elimination tournament concludes with Sunday’s championship game. Levari said the Monarchs aren’t looking that far ahead.
“Winning today, I think that just shows that we were here to play and that we’re not scared of anybody,” he said. “We’re just going to take it day by day.
“What they say you have to do this time of year is survive and advance. And that’s what we have to do.”
