NORFOLK, Va. – Rutgers baseball dropped its series finale to Old Dominion on Sunday, falling by a score of 9-5 at Bud Metheny Ballpark. After the Scarlet Knights (5-1) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, the Monarchs (4-3) scored seven unanswered to salvage the series. 

Despite the loss, RU will head back to New Jersey with a 5-1 record and back-to-back series wins to start the season. 

Rutgers got to work early on Sunday, posting a four-spot in the first inning. It was the fifth straight game Rutgers scored in the top of the first. RJ Johnson Jr. (HBP) and Trevor Cohen (walk) set the table for the heart of the order. Tony Santa Maria then singled in Johnson Jr. and Josh Kuroda-Grauer scored Cohen on a sac fly. An RBI single from Jackson Natili and a double from Pete Durocher added two more. 

In the top of the second, Johnson Jr. and Cohen each singled to put runners on the corners. Santa Maria followed with a sac fly to make it 5-0, recording his 10th RBI of the season. 

Old Dominion hung a six-spot in the fourth, starting things off with a two-run home run with no outs. Two RBI singles and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and bases-loaded walk made it 6-5 in favor of the home team. With two outs and the bases loaded, Donovan Zsak entered and recorded a three-pitch strikeout, the first of his career. 

Zsak returned for the fifth and picked up a strikeout before making way for Jordan Falco, who got the final two outs of the inning. 

ODU was able to manufacture a run in the seventh on a hit-by-pitch, stolen base and RBI single to extend the lead to 7-5. 

Falco would ultimately pitch into the eighth and retire the first two batters of the frame before making way for Gavin Stellpflug. Falco finished the day with 3.1 innings, giving up one run on one hit, striking out three with no walks. 

The Monarchs would add a pair in the eighth on a single to push it to 9-5, which would hold as the final score. 

Rutgers returns to action on Tuesday afternoon against Saint Joseph's. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. in Merion Station, Pa.

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