GAME ONE BOX | GAME TWO BOX
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The No. 17 Nova Southeastern baseball team (20-6, 5-3 SSC) will enter next week as the first-place team in the Sunshine State Conference after completing the sweep of the Saint Leo Lions at the NSU Baseball Complex Saturday. The Sharks won the opening game of the doubleheader, 9-3, before winning a close battle in the series finale, 6-5.
GAME ONE
The Sharks clinched the series against the Lions in the first game of the day, defeating Saint Leo, 9-3.
Daniel Petitbon (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) had a solid outing, going 2-for-5 with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored.
Javi Sujo (Sr., Miami, Fla.) batted behind Petitbon and went 3-for-4 with a RBI.
Areo Regoli (Sr., Homestead, Fla.) and
Blake Boyd (Jr., Jupiter, Fla.) each scored two runs in the contest.
Cody Stiles (Jr., Coral Springs, Fla.) (4-1) recorded a win for the second straight Saturday, as he pitched 5.2 innings and allowed only two earned runs, both of which came on a home run. Stiles allowed five hits in the contest and struck out two batters.
Mauricio Rodriguez (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and
Ronald Patella (Fr., Davie, Fla.) pitched well in relief, with neither pitcher giving up an earned run.
The Lions struck first with a two-run homer in the third inning. The Sharks chipped away at the lead in the bottom of the frame, as Boyd reached base on a single and eventually scored on an error. The Sharks took their first lead of the game with a big fifth inning, scoring five runs on three hits. Petitbon drove home two runs on an RBI single through the right side and
Ray Navarro (Sr., Miami, Fla.) would later follow up with a two-RBI hit of his own, a single to right centerfield. With the bases loaded, Boyd would finish the scoring run by taking a pitch to the body , recording his only RBI.
In the following inning, Petitbon pushed the Sharks’ lead to six runs with a two-run homer. The blast was set up by Regoli, who hit a one-out single through the left side. In the following at bat, Petitbon sent the ball over the left field fence on a 1-2 count. The Sharks tacked on their final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth. Petitbon reached base on an error and was sent home in the next at bat on a Sujo single to left field.
GAME TWO
The Sharks won a seesaw battle to complete the sweep of the Lions, winning in a rain-soaked seven-inning game, 6-5.
Carlos Asuaje (So., Weston, Fla.) was perfect in the leadoff role, going 3-for-3 with two runs. Asuaje is now batting .486 during his sophomore campaign and is three hits away from .500. Petitbon hit his second home run of the day and recorded three RBI. Regoli went 1-for-2 with two RBI, a run scored and a sacrifice fly.
Mike Gonzalez (Sr., Miami, Fla.) received his first SSC start and allowed three earned runs over 4.2 innings pitched, putting his ERA at 1.78. Freshman
Kenny Miranda (Loxahatchee, Fla.) recorded the first victory of his career in relief.
The Sharks only needed to score in two frames, but made both of them count with multiple runs in each. NSU had a great start, with two extra base hits in the first two at bats. Asuaje led off the game with a double down the right field line. He would be plated on a triple to left field from
Chris Morales (Jr., Miami, Fla.).
The Lions tied the game with two runs in the fourth inning and took the lead with a single run in the fifth. The Sharks bit back with a four-run two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth. Saint Leo came close to making it a quick frame, drawing outs on the first two at bats. Asuaje started the rally with a double to right centerfield. Chris Morales reached base on balls before Regoli drove in Asuaje on a single up the middle.
With two runners on base, Petitbon hit his career-high eighth home run of the season to score the Sharks’ last three runs. After working the count to 2-0, Petitbon swung on the first strike he saw and knocked the ball off the left field light post.
The Sharks led by three runs heading into final inning but the Lions were able to make it interesting. They recorded three straight hits to lead off the frame and scored two runs. The Sharks were able to strand the tying run on second base, as Rodriguez recorded his team-best second save.
The Sharks will return to action at the NSU Baseball Complex on Tuesday against Florida Tech in a nonconference game beginning at 6 p.m.
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