Game 1 | Game 2

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team swept the Albany State Golden Rams in their first weekend series of the 2011 season Saturday, Feb. 5 at the NSU Baseball Complex. The Sharks (4-0) defeated the Golden Rams (0-5), 10-3, in the first game and repeated in the rubber match, 6-3. NSU completed a dominant series in which they outscored their opponents by a total of 21 runs (29-8).

Areo Regoli (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) had a near perfect day as he batted .833 in the double-header. He went 5-for-6 and compiled four runs, two RBI, and a solo home run. Andrew Durden (Sr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.) performed well in the leadoff spot as going 4-for-8 with four runs, a home run, and two RBI over two games. Durden also earned a save in his first appearance on the mound for NSU.

Shark newcomer Chris Roman (Sr., Kissimmee, Fla.) (1-0) struck out six in his debut and earned the win in the opening game. He pitched five shutout innings allowing only one hit. Starting in his first game as a Shark since 2008, Ryan Whelan (Sr., Boca Raton, Fla.) (1-0) picked up 10 strikeouts and the win over six-inning stretch in the series finale .

As they did in the Friday’s game, the Sharks took a multiple run lead to open the first game. Durden kicked his day off with a single through the right side and was sent home by a RBI single by Luis Penate (Sr., Miami, Fla.). Penate would score on a wild pitch, while Haven Fitzsimmonds (Sr., Loxahatchee, Fla.) completed a four-run inning with a two-RBI single to right field.

NSU scattered two runs over the next two innings. In the second, Durden reached a single to right field and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Penate. Regoli led off the third inning with a single to left centerfield and made the best of a double play by scoring, putting the Sharks up, 6-0.

The Sharks posted two more runs when Regoli hit his homer in the fifth inning and Durden hit his solo homer in the sixth. After the Golden Rams scored their first run in the seventh, the Sharks answered back with a two-run eighth inning. Michael Hartley (Sr., Davie, Fla.) ignited the run crushing his fourth career home run over left centerfield. The Sharks would collect a free pass later in the inning that scored their 10th run of the game.

In the final game of the series, NSU collected a three run lead in the first inning as Regoli, Dusty Maggs (Satellite Beach, Fla.), and Anthony Angulo (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) drove in runs. Durden started off with a leadoff double to left centerfield and was driven home by Maggs. Regoli followed with a double to centerfield that plated Penate. Regoli would later score off Angulo’s RBI single to down the left field line.

In the third inning, Penate hit his first career triple to advance Nikko Echevarria (Jr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) home. Maggs followed with a RBI single through the left side that sent Penate to the plate. The Sharks scored their final run of the day in the fifth inning when Hartley picked up his second RBI with a single to left centerfield.

On the day, Penate went 2-for-5 with three runs and three RBI. Fitzsimmons and Hartley both went 2-for-3 with two RBI, while Maggs finished the double-header with two RBI and a .500 on base percentage.

The Sharks will hit the road for the first time this year on Tuesday, Feb. 8 against Barry in Miami Shores, Fla. at 6 p.m.