GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (7-5) dropped the first two games of a four-game series Friday against the West Alabama Tigers (7-6) in Livingston, Ala. The Sharks fell in the first game, 8-3, before losing on a walk-off single in the second game, 4-3.

In the series opener, Isaac Hicks (Sr., Fort Myers, Fla.) (2-1) suffered his first loss since May of 2009 after allowing four earned runs over 6.1 innings pitched. However, he held the Tigers to only five hits and struck out four batters.

In his second game batting fourth in the lineup, Areo Regoli (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) went 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Dusty Maggs (Sr., Satellite Beach, Fla.) went 2-for-4 and was the only Shark to earn multiple hits.

The Sharks opened the first game against the Tigers by taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Nikko Echevarria (Jr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) reached base first by drawing a walk and was put in scoring position by Andrew Durden’s (Sr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.) single to left field. Durden stole second to put two runners in scoring position before Regoli sent them both home on a single to left centerfield. Regoli now has a team-best 16 RBI on the season.

UWA immediately took the lead by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first. The Tigers did not waste any time as the first five at bats resulted in a hit or RBI for UWA. When it ended, the Tigers had scored three runs on four hits and an error.

The Tigers posted another run in the fifth but the Sharks answered back with a run of their own in the top of the sixth. Regoli led off and reached on an error by the shortstop. After Anthony Angulo (Jr., Homestead, Fla.), who returned from injury, drew a walk, Ray Navarro (Jr., Miami, Fla.) plated Regoli with a double to left centerfield. Unfortunately, the Sharks lost an opportunity to tie the game as they left two runners in scoring position.

The Tigers would tack on four more runs in the eighth inning to bring the final score to 8-3. UWA’s Colter Millican (2-2) earned the win by striking out seven Sharks while only allowing two earned runs. The Sharks stranded eight runners on base, half of which were in scoring position.

Despite losing the second game, Sean Tighe (Jr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) had his best game of the season as he held the Tigers to one earned run and four hits while striking out a season-high seven batters. However, he was defeated by Barry Meeks (1-1) who held the Sharks to one hit and one earned run. Carlos Asuaje (Fr., Weston, Fla.) earned his team’s only hit and scored two runs.

Asuaje led off the game with a double to left centerfield before Echevarria drew a walk. They pulled off a double steal to put two runners in scoring position and Haven Fitzsimmonds (Sr., Loxahatchee, Fla.) plated Asuaje with a groundout to the shortstop. The Sharks could not score Echevarria and paid for it as the Tigers took a 2-1 lead in the second inning. UWA stretched their lead to two runs by scoring in the third.

Despite going the rest of the game without a hit, the Sharks tied the game with one run in the fourth and sixth innings. Durden led off the fourth by reaching third base on an error in left field. Matt Seese (Sr., Ocala, Fla.) pinch ran for Durden and scored off another Fitzsimmonds RBI groundout to the shortstop.

In the sixth inning, the Sharks put another runner on base through another lead off error in left field as Asuaje reached second to start the inning. He advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Echevarria before Seese earned his second RBI on a sacrifice fly to left field.

With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh, UWA’s Deon Williams led off and was placed on first by a hit-by-pitch. Jay Jennings singled and reached second on a fielding error, putting two runners in scoring position. Sean Albury (Sr., Nassau, Bahamas) entered the game to get the Sharks out of a jam and intentionally walked the next batter to set up the potential double-play. Unfortunately UWA’s Brian Simone hit a walk-off single up the middle to win the game.

Despite the strong performance from Meeks, the Sharks took advantage of their opportunities in the day’s final game by scoring three out of five base runners.

The Sharks will have an opportunity to tie the series with a doubleheader against UWA beginning Saturday, Feb. 26 at 1 p.m. ET.