BOX SCORE
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 8 Nova Southeastern baseball team (24-6) won the first of two nonconference games against the Florida Tech Panthers (22-16), winning, 10-5, Tuesday at the NSU Baseball Complex.
Daniel Petitbon (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) put forth a consistent offensive effort in the Sharks’ win, going 3-for-4 with a run and a RBI.
Brett Clements (Jr., Riverview, Fla.) and
Javi Sujo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) each went 2-for-4 in the game. Clements had a run and a RBI while Sujo recorded two runs and a RBI.
Nearly the entire scoring difference was made by two home runs from
Areo Regoli (Sr., Homestead, Fla.) and
Ray Navarro (Sr., Miami, Fla.). Regoli hit a solo home run, his 15th of the season, in the fourth inning to put the first run on the board. In the sixth inning, Navarro hit a three-run dinger past left field with two outs on the board. It was his first home run of the season. The game was a display of NSU’s offensive ability from top-to-bottom, with eight of the 10 runs being driven in by players in five-through-nine spots in the lineup.
The Sharks used their bullpen pitchers the entire night, with
Vinnie Contaldi (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) getting his first start since his freshman year.
Mauricio Rodriguez (Sr., Miami, Fla.) (3-0) recorded the win in relief by holding FIT to one run over two innings pitched.
Regoli’s home run in the fourth was not only his team’s first run, but its first hit as well. The Panthers would take the lead with one run in the fifth and sixth inning. The Sharks took back the momentum with a five-run two-out rally in the sixth. Chris Morales started the action by drawing a walk and stealing second base. After a fly out posted the second out on the board, Petitbon plated Morales and took his place at second base with a double down the left field line.
Sujo followed Petitbon’s at bat with a RBI single through the left side. The Panthers put another runner on base, as
Alex Marrero (Jr., Miami, Fla.) reached base on balls. With runners on first and second, Navarro hit a no-doubt home run over the left field wall on the first strike he saw.
After FIT cut the Sharks’ lead in half with two runs in the eighth, the Sharks answered back with another big inning in the bottom of the frame. The Sharks posted four runs to end their scoring night. Petitbon and Sujo were once again a part of the action as they hit two straight singles to build momentum.
Nikko Echevarria (Sr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) pinch hit and produced a run with a single up the middle.
Clements recorded his RBI with two runners in scoring position on an infield single that was deflected off the pitcher.
Blake Boyd (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) followed suit with the biggest hit of the inning, a two-RBI single to right centerfield.
The Panthers led off the ninth inning with a triple, eventually scoring a run, but never threatened the Sharks’ lead. The Sharks will face the Panthers in one last nonconference game on April 24 at the NSU Baseball Complex.
The Sharks will continue their break from Sunshine State Conference play this weekend when they play a three-game series against Palm Beach Atlantic, beginning Friday at the NSU Baseball Complex at 6 p.m.
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