Lakeland, Fla. (Apr. 30, 2010) Despite a complete game, nine strikeout effort from starting pitcher Nick Avila the Nova Southeastern University baseball team lost in a 3-0 pitchers duel at #7 Florida Southern on Friday evening in Sunshine State Conference play. The Sharks fall to 31-20 on the season and 11-8 in SSC play while Florida Southern improves to 38-10 and 13-6 in SSC play.
It was evident early on that the game would be a pitcher's duel, as Avila (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) and Moccasins starter Max Russell each held the opposition scoreless through the first three innings. Florida Southern manufactured the first run in the bottom of the fourth inning with a single, a wild pitch, a groundout and an infield single.
The Moccasins scored another run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a RBI double by outfielder Trae Gore. Meanwhile, Russell had a stretch where he retired nine consecutive batters and did not allow a hit in the final five and two-thirds innings pitched.
After an insurance run was scored in the bottom of the eighth inning, Florida Southern closer Daniel Tillman shut the Sharks down in the ninth for his 13th save of the season.
Russell earned the win, his tenth of the season, by pitching eight innings and allowing just two hits. He walked two batters and struck out seven.
Avila took the hard luck loss, pitching a complete game and allowing ten hits and three earned runs. He struck out nine and walked just one.
Outfielder Nikko Echevarria (So., Abqaiq, Saudi Arabia), designated hitter Haven FitzSimmonds (Jr., Loxahatchee, Fla.) and outfielder Matt Seese (Jr., Ocala, Fla.) had the three hits for NSU on the evening. Senior third baseman Rhys Roberts (Parkland, Fla.) saw his 17 game hitting streak end with a 0-4 night. He was robbed of a hit in the fourth inning when the centerfielder make a diving catch on a line drive hit to the left-centerfield gap.
NSU and Florida Southern will complete their three-game SSC series with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 2nd at Henley Field in Lakeland, Fla.
