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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team completed a weekend sweep of the Saint Leo Lions by winning both games of a doubleheader Saturday in Saint Leo, Fla. The Sharks blew the Lions away in the first game, 20-4, before squeezing out an extra-innings win in the second game, 3-1.

In the opening game, Nikko Echevarria (Jr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) had a career-best outing as he had two home runs, including a grand slam in the eighth inning. His other home run drove in three runs in the ninth, bringing his RBI total to nine. He went 4-for-6 in the game with two runs. Carlos Asuaje (Fr., Weston, Fla.) also played well, going 4-for-7 with three runs and three RBI. He was a double away from hitting for the cycle.

Nick Avila (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) (4-1) picked up his fourth win by holding the Lions scoreless in six out of seven innings pitched. He struck out two batters and held a five-to-11 groundout/flyball ratio. Tyler Redding (So., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Kellen St. Luce (Jr., St. Thomas, Virgin Islands) closed the game by combining for two perfect innings.

The Sharks jumped on the Lions early as they scored eight runs in the first inning. It was a full team effort as eight out of nine starters picked up a hit in the frame. Asuaje started the game off with a solo home run over left field, his second bomb of the season. Later, he would hit a two-run triple to bring his total to three RBI in the inning. Haven Fitzsimmonds (Sr., Loxahatchee, Fla.) picked up two RBI in the inning on a double down the right field line. Anthony Angulo (Jr., Homestead, Fla.), Blake Boyd (So., Jupiter, Fla.) and Luis Penate (Sr., Miami, Fla.) all drove in runs in the first as well.

The Shark offense calmed down over the middle innings as they drove in a run in the second, fourth and fifth innings each. In the second, Dusty Maggs (Sr., Satellite Beach, Fla.) reached base on a hit by pitch and was plated on Boyd’s second RBI single. After the Lions scored all of their runs in the second, Echevarria collected his first RBI in the fourth on a single to right centerfield that scored Fitzsimmonds. He picked up his second RBI in the sixth on an infield single that plated Maggs.

Winning 11-4 in the eighth, the Sharks blew the Lions away with nine runs over the final two innings. Maggs, Angulo and Boyd loaded up the bases with no outs on two walks and an error. Echevarria, who had not hit a home run since his freshman season in 2008, blasted a grand slam over left field that put the Sharks up by 11 runs. It was the third grand slam of the season for the Sharks. Asuaje followed up with a single and later scored on Alex Marrero’s (So., Miami, Fla.) sacrifice fly.

The Sharks posted their final four runs on the board in the ninth on two home runs. Scott Woodrey (Jr., Lighthouse Point, Fla.) hit a solo home run in his only at bat of the day. It was his second home run of the season, with the first coming on a grand slam against St. Michael’s. Angulo and Boyd immediately followed up with a walk and a single, respectively. Echevarria finished his nine-RBI performance with a three-run homer down the left field line. It was Echevarria’s third career home run.

In the final game of the series, Daniel Petitbon (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had his best hit as a Shark on a home run in the 10th inning to put the Sharks ahead by two runs. Petitbon blasted the ball over left centerfield for his third home run of the season.

Sean Tighe (Sr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) kept the Lions at bay as he held the home team to three hits over eight innings. He gave up a run in the first inning but kept the Lions scoreless from then on. After giving up two singles in the third inning, Tighe pitched 4.1 perfect innings which allowed the Sharks to earn the extra-innings win. Tighe finished the game with nine strikeouts, one short of his season-high. Sean Albury (Sr., Nassau, Bahamas) (3-1) held the Lions scoreless over the final two innings to pick up the win.

The Lions took the lead with one run in the first inning. The Sharks threatened in the second and third but stranded five runners on base. Maggs evened the score in the fourth as he hit a solo home run to right field. It was his seventh home run of the season. From then on the Sharks struggled against Saint Leo’s Marshall Stalvey as they only had two hits over the next 5.2 innings, one from Echevarria and another from Penate.

In the 10th and final inning, Penate reached base on his second hit of the game with two outs on the board. Petitbon followed up with his game-winning home run before Albury finished the game with a scoreless 10th frame.

The Sharks will move on to face Barry in Miami Shores, Fla. this Tuesday, April 19 at 6 p.m.