NORFOLK, Va. (Interstat) — Charlie West and Paxton Meyers combined for a dominant nine-inning, two-hit performance on the mound, and the Connecticut Huskies capitalized on early Old Dominion mistakes to secure a 4-2 victory over the Monarchs on Friday evening at Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

The game’s decisive moment arrived in a chaotic top of the fifth inning. Connecticut, having scratched across an unearned run in the third, broke a scoreless tie with a four-run outburst fueled by timely hitting and Monarchs’ pitching changes. With one out and the bases loaded, Nater Wachter delivered an RBI single to left field off reliever Owen Yarussi to plate the game’s first run. After a strikeout, Patrick Johnson entered for Old Dominion and immediately faced pinch-hitter Chase McCombsTaylor. McCombsTaylor laced a two-run single through the left side, scoring two more. Another walk reloaded the bases before a flyout finally ended the inning, but the damage was done, giving Connecticut a 4-0 lead.

That rally provided all the support needed for Connecticut’s pitching duo. Starter Charlie West, the game’s top star, was electric over five innings. He allowed both Old Dominion runs in the fifth but did not surrender a hit, with the scoring aided by a Connecticut fielding error. West walked three and struck out five, continuing a strong run after a 4 1/3-inning, nine-strikeout performance the previous week.

Paxton Meyers was flawless in relief, earning the save with four perfect innings. He struck out five of the 12 batters he faced, extinguishing any hope of a Monarchs comeback. Old Dominion managed only two singles in the game, both coming during their two-run fifth inning. Zach Leite drew a bases-loaded walk and Tyler Zedalis followed with an RBI single, but Maverick Stallings grounded into an inning-ending double play to halt the rally.

The Huskies (6-7) out-hit the Monarchs (7-5) 10-2, with Chris Polemeni going 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored. Wachter finished 2-for-5 with an RBI. Old Dominion’s Stallings was 3-for-4 in the loss. Monarchs starter Darin Kuskie took the loss, charged with two runs on five hits over four-plus innings.

The victory defied the pregame projection from Interstat’s game simulator, which had forecast a 6-4 Old Dominion win, though their ELO rating system gave Connecticut a 59.2% probability to win.

The two teams continue their three-game series on Saturday.