BOX SCORE

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern baseball team (35-18) ended what will go down as one of the most memorable seasons in program history Sunday at the NCAA South Regional Tournament in Pensacola, Fla. as the Sharks lost to the No. 11 Barry Buccaneers (38-16), 5-4.

The Sharks finished a memorable season that reset the bar for the program. The Sharks made their first South Regional appearance and won two out of their first three postseason games. The team featured six all-conference players, including SSC Freshman of the Year Carlos Asuaje (Fr., Weston, Fla.) and Andrew Durden (Sr., Port St. Lucie, Fla.) who received All-South Region First Team honors.

Torey Ekey (Sr. Merritt Island, Fla.) made his third relief appearance of the tournament Sunday and continued his solid postseason performance. Ekey pitched four innings and held the Bucs to one hit, a solo home run from James Young in the fifth inning. Ekey struck out six batters in the final appearance of his career. Sean Tighe (Sr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) closed the game by pitching two shutout no-hit innings while striking out three batters. Isaac Hicks (Sr., Fort Myers, Fla.) ended his year by throwing three innings and striking out three Bucs.

Asuaje and Durden each went 2-for-4 in the contest while Durden became the only player in the tournament with multiple home runs. After Barry took a 4-0 lead with two runs in each of the first two innings, Durden changed the complexion of the game with one swing in the third. The homer was set up by a walk on Luis Penate (Sr., Miami, Fla.) and a single from Daniel Petitbon (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Durden then went yard on a 3-2 count as the ball just went over the left field short fence. The Sharks would load the bases after Durden’s home run but could not tie the game.

After three innings in which the Sharks touched third base, Barry sent in T.J. Mullins in for the remainder of the game. Mullins threw 103 pitches in relief while holding the Sharks to five hits over 6.2 innings. The Sharks left 11 runners on base in the game but only one from the fourth inning until the eighth.

Down 5-3 in the ninth, the Sharks made a rally that came just short of tying the game. Durden drew a walk with one out to bring the tying run to the plate. After a popout, Haven Fitzsimmonds (Sr., Loxhatchee, Fla.) kept the game going with a RBI single up the middle. After Matt Seese (Sr., Ocala, Fla.) came in to pinch run, Dusty Maggs (Sr., Satellite Beach, Fla.) sent a routine fly ball to centerfield that was dropped by Harold Hollness. Seese made it all the way to third base but did not score as a fly out to right field ended the game and the season.

The game ended the careers of 15 seniors and one junior who have all contributed to the success of the program. Despite today’s result, the season will be remembered as one in which the Sharks reached heights the program had never met. The success of this season, which was enabled by the fans, support staff, and alumni, is cemented as a benchmark for all of the program’s future glory.