GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (21-10, 8-3 SSC) split a doubleheader in St. Petersburg, Fla. against the Eckerd Tritons (12-14, 1-7 SSC) Saturday, winning the first game, 3-2, before losing the second game in an extra eighth inning, 3-2.

In the first game, Ray Navarro (Jr., Miami, Fla.) had the biggest hit of his career at NSU as he hit a go-ahead single to centerfield on a 1-2 count with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, scoring two runs and putting the Sharks up, 3-2. It was Navarro’s only hit of the game. Carlos Asuaje (Fr., Weston, Fla.) also had a strong outing, going 2-for-4 with an RBI.

Nick Avila (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) did not get the decision but put the Sharks in a position to win by keeping the Tritons at bay. Avila pitched seven innings and held Eckerd to six hits and two runs while striking out four batters. Avila was perfect through three innings and held an 11/5 groundout/fly ball ratio. Torey Ekey (Sr., Merritt Island, Fla.) (2-1) picked up the win by pitching a perfect eighth inning before Sean Albury (Sr., Nassau, Bahamas) picked up his 8th save of the season.

The Sharks struck first in the third inning by going up, 1-0. Anthony Angulo (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) led off with an infield single before Navarro advanced him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Angulo moved to third on a groundout from Nikko Echevarria (Jr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) and the catcher was plated on an RBI double to right centerfield from Asuaje.

NSU would go scoreless over the next five innings and only compile two hits over the span. Eckerd took the lead by scoring a run in both the sixth and seventh innings. The Sharks entered the final inning with a one-run deficit but came back in a dramatic final inning. Areo Regoli (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) led-off with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Daniel Petitbon (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.).

A second out would go on the board due to a strikeout before head coach Greg Brown decided to pinch hit Mauricio Rodriguez (Jr., Miami, Fla.), who only had one at bat this season. Rodriguez came through for his team with a single to left field, pushing the tying runner to third base. Angulo drew a walk to load the bases before Navarro’s dramatic go-ahead single. Albury entered in the ninth and picked up his 24th strikeout of the season en route to his eighth save.

Eckerd’s Joey Cuda (3-3) picked up the loss despite pitching a complete game and throwing over 150 pitches. Cuda held the Sharks to five hits before the game-deciding ninth inning.

In the final game of the day, Sean Tighe (Jr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) pitched well in his seventh start of the year. The junior threw five innings and held the Tritons to six hits and two runs while striking out four batters. Despite taking his first loss of the season, Ekey only allowed two hits over 2.2 innings but put the game-deciding runner on base in the eighth. Andrew Durden (Sr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.) had a strong second game, going 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI.

Eckerd struck first in the day’s seven-inning game with a run in the second inning. The Sharks would even the score in the fifth as Durden scored a run. He hit a leadoff double to centerfield before heading to third on a wild pitch. Navarro added another RBI with a sacrifice fly to center.

The Tritons scored a run in the sixth, putting the Sharks behind in the final regulation inning for the third straight game. Rodriguez led-off the seventh with a single and Matt Seese (Sr., Ocala, Fla.) came in to pinch run for him. Seese used his elite speed to steal second before Durden hit a game-tying RBI single through the left side. Durden, the go-ahead runner, would get stranded in scoring position.

After Ekey sent the game into an extra inning, the Sharks had an opportunity to take the lead in the eighth as Echevarria hit a leadoff single. Asuaje put him in scoring position with a sacrifice bunt but the Sharks could not advance him further than second base.

Eckerd substitute Anthony Pucci reached base on a fielder’s choice in the bottom of the eighth and reached second on an error. After Ekey picked up a swinging strikeout and intentionally walked a batter, Albury entered the game and gave up a single up the middle to pinch hitter Shane Bishop. The throw home from the outfield was close but the umpire ruled Pucci safe as the Tritons won in walk-off fashion.

The Sharks will look to take the weekend series against the Tritons Sunday, April 3 in St. Petersburg, Fla. at 1 p.m.