GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Nova Southeastern Sharks (33-16, 17-7 SSC) ended the regular season by splitting a doubleheader in Boca Raton, Fla. against the Lynn Fighting Knights (26-23, 10-14 SSC) Saturday afternoon. The Sharks took the first game, 12-8, before dropping the second game, 5-4.

In the victory, Carlos Asuaje (Fr., Weston, Fla.) and Areo Regoli (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) led the way as they each hit three-run homers in the game. Asuaje went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four RBI while Regoli went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBI.

Nick Avila (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) (5-1) started and picked up his fifth win of the year while Torey Ekey (Sr., Merritt Island, Fla.) and Sean Albury (Sr., Nassau, Bahamas) combined for three shutout innings. Ekey struck out three batters over the seventh and eighth innings and Albury did not allow a hit in the final frame.

Regoli put the Sharks ahead early as he hit his team’s first home run of the series in the first inning. With Nikko Echevarria (Jr., Abqaib, Saudi Arabia) and Daniel Petitbon (Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) on base, Regoli hit his eighth home run of the season to left centerfield. Regoli now has 40 RBI this season and 21 extra-base hits. The Fighting Knights returned serve by scoring three runs of their own in the bottom of the first.

The Sharks would go up, 6-3, after another three-run inning in the second. After two quick outs, Ray Navarro (Jr., Miami, Fla.) hit a double that snuck past the third baseman before Asuaje drew a walk. Echevarria drove home both runners with a double down the right field line. Petitbon plated Echevarria with his second hit of the game, a double to right field.

The Sharks continued to pile on the runs with four more in the third inning. Regoli led off the game with a single up the middle before Anthony Angulo (Jr., Homestead, Fla.) drove him home with a single of his own. With two outs on the board, Navarro drew a walk before Asuaje cleared the bases with a three-run bomb past right field. The home run was Asuaje’s third of the season and first since April 16 against Saint Leo. The homer gave the Sharks a 10-3 lead, their biggest of the game.

The Fighting Knights nearly made a comeback as they scored five runs in the fourth, cutting their deficit to two runs. The Sharks extended their lead with one run in both the sixth and seventh innings. Asuaje led off the sixth with an infield single and eventually scored off an error by Lynn’s Johnny Broderick.

The Sharks scored the final run of the game as Penate led-off the seventh with a single down the right field line and stole second. With two outs again, Asuaje came through with an RBI double to left field. The run put the Sharks up, 12-8, as the Ekey and Albury sealed the win.

The second game featured a pitcher’s dual in which the Sharks gave up a one-run lead in the seventh inning to lose in walk-off fashion. Sean Tighe (Jr., Hobe Sound, Fla.) pitched a solid game as he held the Fighting Knights to three runs over six innings while striking out five. Albury (6-2) pitched the final side but blew his chance at a career-high tying 10th save.

Lynn’s Shawn Kale kept the Sharks at bay at the start of the game as he was perfect through three innings. Tighe kept up with his pace as he only allowed two hits over the first three frames. The Sharks struck first in the fourth as Asuaje earned his team’s first hit on a leadoff bunt single. He would eventually score on Durden’s 22nd double of the year. The centerfielder would come home on a single to centerfield from Regoli. Durden is now two doubles away from Guillermo Munoz’s 20-year old single-season doubles record.

The Fighting Knights took the lead in the fifth inning by scoring three runs. It was the only inning in which Tighe allowed Lynn to score. Petitbon had one of his biggest hits of the season in the sixth as he hit a two-run line-drive home run over the right field fence. The homer plated Blake Boyd (So., Jupiter, Fla.) and yet again came with two outs. Petitbon finished the regular season with seven home runs and a .571 slugging percentage, good for second on the team.

Albury entered the game in the ninth and gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Radzewski. Lynn’s Leo Carrillo entered the game to pinch run, stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. Alex Bello tied the game with a RBI single to left centerfield. Anthony Boza followed up by hitting a walk-off double down the left field line.

Over two games, the Sharks scored all 16 of their runs with two outs on the board.

With the regular season wrapped up, the Sharks will now wait to see if they receive an at-large bid in the NCAA South Region Tournament. The selection show is set for Sunday, May 15.