It was a weekend of extremes in Mobile, Alabama, as Old Dominion (13-14, 3-6 Sun Belt) dropped two of three to South Alabama at Stanky Field. While the Monarchs showcased a masterclass in pitching during a Saturday shutout, the bookend games of the series saw the offense struggle to keep pace with a potent Jaguar lineup.
Game 1: Early Deficit Dooms Monarchs (South Alabama 10, ODU 3)
Friday’s opener slipped away early as South Alabama tagged the ODU staff for seven runs in the first three innings. Darin Kuskie struggled in the start, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits over three innings.
The Monarchs showed signs of life in the fifth when Scotty Young launched his first home run of the season, followed by a two-RBI single from TJ Aiken to cut the lead to 7-3. However, the Jaguars’ Brennon Wright responded with a late triple to push the final margin to double digits.
Game 2: Pitching Masterclass Evens Series (ODU 2, South Alabama 0)
Saturday belonged to the Monarch arms. JJ Gatti, Ben Tanton, and Jackson Okonkwo combined for a dominant four-hit shutout to even the series. Gatti set the tone with four scoreless innings, while Tanton earned the win (2-0) and Okonkwo secured his first career save.
The game remained scoreless until the seventh, when Macaddin Dye delivered the hit of the weekend—a clutch two-RBI single through the left side that scored Aiken and Zach Leite.
Game 3: Rubber Match Rout (South Alabama 12, ODU 1 - F/7)
Sunday’s finale was a one-sided affair as the Jaguars clinched the series in a seven-inning run-rule victory. ODU's lone run came in the fifth inning when Cash Jay drove a double to right-center to plate Will Johnson.
Aside from that spark, the Monarch bats were silenced by USA's Daniel Gonzalez, who held ODU to just four hits. The Jaguars utilized three home runs—two by Blake Guerin—to put the game out of reach early.
Top Performers & Series Leaders
| Player | Weekend Impact | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|
| TJ Aiken | Spark plug at the top of the order; multi-hit game Friday. | 5-for-10, 2 RBI, 2 Runs, 2 BB |
| Macaddin Dye | Provided the series' only game-winning RBI. | 5-for-10, 2B, 2 RBI |
| Scotty Young | Logged his first HR of 2026. | 3-for-9, HR, RBI |
| Jackson Okonkwo | Dominant closing performance Saturday. | 3.0 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 1 K (Save) |
Interesting Series Stats
- ■ Shutout Success: Saturday marked ODU's second shutout win of the 2026 season.
- ■ Strikeout Woes: ODU hitters combined for 27 strikeouts across the three games in Mobile.
- ■ Walk-athon: The Monarchs displayed great plate discipline in Saturday's win, drawing 8 walks to manufacture their only two runs.
- ■ Road Struggles: With the series loss, ODU moves to 3-6 in Sun Belt play, with all six losses coming on the road or against conference leaders.
What’s Next?
The Monarchs (13-14) travel to Charlottesville for a massive midweek test against Virginia tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31, at 6:00 PM EDT. ODU then returns to the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex to host Southern Miss in a three-game conference set starting Thursday, April 2.
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