NORFOLK (Interstat) — Tyler Lutz allowed no hits and three earned runs over eight innings, striking out two, and Kyle Langley homered as James Madison defeated Old Dominion 7-3 on Saturday at Bud Metheny Baseball Complex.

The Dukes avoided a three-game sweep after losing the first two games of the Sun Belt series by a combined 15-1 margin. James Madison improved to 21-31 overall, while Old Dominion fell to 29-25.

Lutz, who entered with a 5-10 record and a 6.32 ERA, had struggled in his previous start, allowing eight hits and four earned runs in 4⅔ innings against Southern Mississippi. In the start before that, he worked seven innings, giving up nine hits and three earned runs in a win over Marshall.

The Dukes broke the game open with a five-run third inning. After Cannizzaro led off with a ground-rule double and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, Langley launched a two-run homer to right field. Moody walked, stole second and advanced to third on an error by shortstop. Thompson singled to shallow center field, driving in Moody, then stole second. Guerrero doubled down the left-field line, scoring Seguin and Thompson for a 5-0 lead. James Madison added a run in the seventh when Guerrero’s sacrifice fly brought home Seguin, and another in the eighth on Moody’s RBI single that scored Haesler.

Langley finished 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs. Thompson went 3 for 5, drove in a run and stole a base. Guerrero had a double and three RBIs. Moody collected three hits in four at-bats, walked, stole two bases and drove in a run. The Dukes totaled 11 hits.

Old Dominion managed just three runs despite 10 hits. The Monarchs scored their first run in the fifth inning when Stallings came home on a fielder’s choice and a throwing error. In the eighth, Johnson led off with a solo homer to left field. Later in the inning, Leite singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Stallings’ single up the middle. Lutz limited the damage by striking out Zedalis to end the threat.

Reliever Luke McGrath pitched a scoreless ninth inning, allowing no hits and striking out none to close out the game for James Madison. Nick Sulpizio worked three innings of relief for Old Dominion, giving up four hits and no earned runs with five strikeouts. Chris Cavalcante tossed a scoreless ninth for the Monarchs.

The game was the third of the series between the two Sun Belt rivals. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Old Dominion 7, James Madison 3, and Interstat’s ELO system gave Old Dominion a 64.80 percent probability to win.