Box Score

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (2-0) won the first game of a weekend series against the Albany State Golden Rams (0-3) Friday night at the NSU Baseball Complex, 13-2.

Freshman Carlos Asuaje (Weston, Fla.) had the biggest hit of the night in the sixth inning with a three run homer to right center field. The first home run of his collegiate career put the Sharks up 13-1. Asuaje finished 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs and three RBI.

It was a standout game for other Shark newcomers as Andrew Durden (Sr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.), Areo Regoli (Jr., Homestead, Fla.), and Ray Navarro (Jr., Miami, Fla.) led the Sharks offensively. Durden went 3-for-4 with three runs scored and a RBI, while Regoli went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. Navarro finished 2-for-4 with a run.

Senior right handed pitcher Nick Avila (Pembroke Pines, Fla.) received his first start of the season and earning the win. He allowed one run and five hits over five innings while striking out three. Sean Tighe (Jr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) came out of the bullpen and scattered four strikeouts over two innings.

The Golden Rams struck first and took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, poor pitching in the first put ASU behind as the Sharks received a free pass on their first two runs. With Luis Penate (Sr., Miami, Fla.) on third base, Anthony Angulo (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) hit a sacrifice fly out to centerfield which gave the Sharks a 3-1 lead after the opening frame.

In the second, Asuaje led off with a single down the left field line before he was driven home by Durden’s second hit of the game, a RBI double to left field. After advancing to third on an error, Durden was sent home on a sacrifice fly from Nikko Echevarria (Jr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia).

After a scoreless third, the Sharks posted three runs up in the fourth. With one out, Penate singled to right field followed by Dusty Maggs' (Sr., Satellite Beach, Fla.) third walk. Regoli advanced Penate home on a double to left field while Maggs scored after on a Haven Fitzsimmonds (Sr., Loxahatchee, Fla.) groundout to first. A balk sent Regoli home for the final run of the side.

The Sharks scattered their final five runs over the fifth and sixth innings. Penate plated Durden in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly before Angulo hit his second sacrifice fly, scoring Regoli in the sixth. The Sharks earned their last three runs on Asuaje’s long ball to end the sixth.

With nearly all starters replaced for both teams, ASU scored the final run of the game in the ninth before losing 13-2.

Six NSU batters collected hits while the NSU coaching staff pulled 12 players from the bench, only three of which were pitchers.

The Sharks will close out their weekend series against the Golden Rams Saturday, Feb. 5 at the NSU Baseball Complex at noon.