Game Recap | ODU Unfiltered
Old Dominion (28-24, 14-14 SBC) kept the momentum rolling on Thursday night, opening the TowneBank Royal Rivalry series with a dominant 5-1 victory over James Madison at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex. The win marks the Monarchs' third straight victory and, more importantly, pushes them to .500 in Sun Belt play, while bolstering their position as a top 8 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Game Recap: Pitching and Small Ball Shine
The Monarchs used a high-efficiency formula to dismantle the Dukes: aggressive early offense paired with a shutdown performance from the bullpen.
- Early Surge at the Bud: ODU wasted no time setting the tone in the bottom of the first. Will Johnson, Scotty Young, and Efrain Morales loaded the bases with three consecutive singles before Zach Leite and Maverick Stallings traded groundouts to manufacture a quick 2-0 lead. The Monarchs added another in the second when Tyler Zedalis scored on a double play, keeping the pressure on the JMU staff.
- The Squeeze Play: After JMU cut the lead to 3-1 in the fourth, the Monarchs answered immediately in the home half. Macaddin Dye and Nick Felton sparked a rally before the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Week, Will Johnson, delivered an RBI single back up the middle. Moments later, Scotty Young executed a perfect sacrifice squeeze bunt to plate Felton, extending the lead to 5-1 and effectively putting the game out of reach.
- Lights-Out Relief: While starter Darin Kuskie (4-7) was solid through five innings, the story of the night was Bailey Matela. Coming on in a high-leverage spot in the sixth, the Norfolk native was untouchable. Matela tossed 3.1 hitless innings of relief, racking up a career-high 6 strikeouts to earn his second save of the season and seal the victory.
Top Performers & Game Leaders
| Player | Game Highlights | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|
| Will Johnson | Set the table early and provided a clutch RBI. | 2-for-3, RBI, Run, HBP |
| Macaddin Dye | A constant presence in the middle of the order. | 2-for-4, Run |
| Bailey Matela | Shut the door with a career-best relief outing. | 3.1 IP, 0 H, 6 K (Save) |
| Darin Kuskie | Earned the win with five strong innings. | 5.0 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 6 K (Win) |
| Tyler Zedalis | Launched a crucial double to spark the 2nd-inning run. | 1-for-4, 2B, Run |
Interesting Game Stats
- Strikeout Command: Monarch pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts while allowing only five hits on the night.
- Situational Hitting: ODU hit a crisp .333 (5-for-15) with runners on base, a major factor in their ability to manufacture runs early.
- Tournament Math: With the win, ODU improves to 14-14 in conference play. Depending on other results around the league, the Monarchs are now in a prime position to potentially leapfrog into a top-6 seed and avoid the play-in round.
- Royal Rivalry Points: This win adds a crucial point to ODU's lead in the TowneBank Royal Rivalry challenge against the Dukes.
Sun Belt Postseason Standings (As of Friday Morning, May 15)
The top 10 teams qualify for Montgomery. The first order of business is a win today to lock in the top 8 seed, while eyeing the coveted top 6 seed in order to skip the play-in round.
| Seed | Team | Conf. Record | Status | Remaining Series |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Louisiana | 15-13 | The Target | vs. Coastal (LA leads 1-0) |
| 7 | Texas State | 14-14 | Play-in Zone | vs. Marshall (TXST leads 1-0) |
| 8 | Old Dominion | 14-14 | Play-in Zone | vs. JMU (ODU leads 1-0) |
| 9 | Marshall | 13-15 | Play-in Zone | at Texas State |
| 10 | Georgia State | 12-16 | Play-in Zone | vs. App State (APP leads 1-0) |
| 11 | Arkansas State | 12-16 | Outside | at South Alabama (ASU leads 1-0) |
| 12 | ULM | 11-17 | Outside | vs. Troy |
The Play-In Cushion (Avoiding #9/#10)
Last night’s win virtually guaranteed ODU a spot in the tournament field. More importantly, it moved them a full game ahead of Marshall and two games ahead of Georgia State and Arkansas State.
Finishing as the 7th or 8th seed is critical because it ensures ODU is the "home team" for the play-in game.
With Texas State also winning last night, the Monarchs are currently tied with the Bobcats. Because ODU did not play Texas State this season, the tiebreaker will come down to their record against common conference opponents, which ODU wins via their series win over Coastal.
The "Bye" Scenarios (The Hunt for #6)
To jump into the No. 6 seed and avoid the single-elimination play-in game on Tuesday, the math gets complicated, but not impossible.
Scenario 1: ODU Sweeps JMU (16-14)
- Logic: If ODU finishes with a superior winning percentage (16-14) over any team sitting at 15-15, they take the higher seed automatically.
- Nuance: The only way ODU doesn't take the #6 seed with a sweep is if Louisiana also wins their series (reaching 16-14 or 17-13). If both finish at 16-14, Louisiana currently holds the edge in a 2-way tiebreaker because they beat Southern Miss (#2) in their series, whereas ODU did not.
Scenario 2: ODU Wins 2 of 3 (15-15)
- Part 1 (The 2-Way Tie with Louisiana): If it’s just ODU and Louisiana at 15-15 (meaning Louisiana loses the next two to Coastal), ODU wins the tiebreaker, having gone 2-1 against #1 Coastal Carolina; Louisiana would be 1-2. ODU jumps them.
- Part 2 (The 3-Way Tie with South Alabama): Here is how the math breaks down for the tied group record:
- Louisiana: 2-1 against the group (Sweep vs. USA, 0-0 vs. ODU) = .667
- South Alabama: 3-3 against the group (1-2 vs. LA, 2-1 vs. ODU) = .500
- Old Dominion: 1-2 against the group (1-2 vs. USA, 0-0 vs. LA) = .333
- Result: Louisiana takes #5, South Alabama takes #6 (based on the head-to-head win over ODU), and ODU takes #7.
The "Spoiler" Variable: Texas State
There is one team we didn't mention (because this turns into a calculus equation once you do) that could complicate Scenario 2: Texas State.
The Bobcats are currently 14-14 (leading Marshall 1-0). If they win their series against Marshall, they also finish 15-15.
The Problem: Texas State swept Louisiana (3-0) earlier this year.
The Result: In a 3-way or 4-way tie involving Texas State and Louisiana at 15-15, Texas State's 1.000 winning percentage against the group would likely catapult them into the #6 seed, potentially pushing ODU to #7 or #8.
Summary Table: ODU's Path to the Bye (#6 Seed)
| If ODU finishes... | And Louisiana finishes... | And South Alabama finishes... | ODU's Seed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16-14 (Sweep) | 15-15 or worse | Anything | #6 (Safe) |
| 15-15 (2-1) | 15-15 (Loss) | 16-14 (Win) | #6 (Assuming TXST ≤ 14-16) |
| 15-15 (2-1) | 15-15 (Loss) | 15-15 (Loss) | #7 (USA takes #6) |
What’s Next?
The Monarchs look to clinch the series and secure a winning conference record later today. ODU hosts James Madison for Game 2 at the Ellmer Family Baseball Complex:
- Friday, May 15: vs. JMU (Senior Day) – 3:00 PM EDT
- Saturday, May 16: vs. JMU (Graduation Day) – 1:00 PM EDT
ODU Unfiltered covers Old Dominion University athletics and institutional affairs with the honesty the official channels won't provide.